All around the world, people are losing weight and increasing their fitness in various ways. There are certain habits that are specific to certain cultures, and we can learn much about how to improve wellness and wellbeing by looking at examples from around the world.
For example, in Japan, they are very keen on stretching and limbering up for the day ahead. In Japan, there is a cheerful piano tune that plays on the radio every morning for 15 minutes, and a voice guides people through a series of stretching exercises. These same exercises are taught in many schools, and the tradition dates back to the 1920s. Known as ‘radio exercises’, group stretching goes on in primary schools and in other group settings – elderly people gather in parks, employees gather together in offices and so on. The Japanese recognise that stretching helps to promote circulation, increases flexibility and helps the body to ‘wake up’ each day.
In the Netherlands, cycling is a big way of life. The Dutch use their bikes for commuting, shopping and any other errands that they need to carry out. Around half the population of Amsterdam cycle every day (compared to less than two percent of Americans), and around 85 percent of all Dutch people ride their bike at least once per week.
If you want to take a lesson from the Dutch, make sure you wear a cycle helmet to help protect against the risks of cycling. Pedalling a bike makes your glutes, quads and hamstrings work hard and improves your cardio fitness levels.
In Singapore, it’s walking on rocks that helps to improve the fitness. Many paths are made from pebble mosaics, and this promotes barefoot walking. As people walk along these paths, reflexology points on the feet are massaged which helps to keep the body balanced.
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