Ikigai: Keep Moving
Keep moving, why?
Most people would be aware that exercise is beneficial for the body and mind
It helps us to maintain or improve our general health and fitness
Ikigai is a Japanese concept created by studying the lives of people on the Okinawa island. South of Japan’s mainland.
Okinawans are part of the five original blue zones; these are places that have the healthiest, longest-living populations in the world.
The five blue zones include
- Okinawa, Japan;
- Sardinia, Italy;
- Nicoya, Costa Rica;
- Ikaria, Greece;
- Loma Linda, California.
Okinawans have less cancer, heart disease, and dementia than Americans, and women there live longer than any women on the planet.
Two of the rules of living your Ikigai are as follows:
- Stay active; don’t retire
- Get in Shape
There are 10 Ikigai rules all together.
The two rules mentioned are based on physical movement: to move and to exercise.
Stay active: Don’t retire and Keep Moving
In the Japanese language, there is no word for retire, meaning to stop working for a living.
Ikigai encourages us to keep doing things of value to help shape the world around us and, in the process, make it a better place to live
Get in Shape:
Our body is the greatest asset we will ever own, and we have a responsibility as we move through our lives to give it some daily maintenance to keep it running for a long time.
When we are young and just staringt our lifelong journey, we are active, going out, playing sports, working, and going out with our workmates.
Two healthy habits that are linked to Japan one of these is directly linked to Okinawa
10,000 Steps
The 10,000-step phenomenon was originally created in Japan in the 1960s as part of a marketing campaign for a pedometer called the mano-kei which translates to 10,000 steps.
The campaign was part of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964; it was the first Olympics held in an Asian country.
The idea caught on where today there are many different challenges to join a 10,000-step challenge.
It’s a global phenomenon.
However, there are many health organizations that don’t support the idea of requiring 10,000 steps per day.
Just good old-fashioned 30 minutes a day of exercise or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly.
Karate
Okinawa Japan is known for where Karate originated. Known as the Ryukyu Kingdom when Karate came to being in the late 19th century. In 1879.
The word Karate is a combination of two Japanese characters: Kara, meaning empty, and te, meaning hand.
Apart from being a good form of self-defense, karate is known for its health benefits.
Through its training regime, it helps to improve muscle strength, coordination, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.
As part of our “keep moving” regime, Donna and I have started to learn Tai Chi.
While it didn’t originate in Japan, it is said to have started in China around … . Initially developed for combat and self-defense.
The earliest known practice was in the early 3rd century as freehand exercises. A couple of centuries later, Buddhist monks became interested in the martial art form of Tai Chi.
Now in the Western world, it is very popular as a gentle, low-impact exercise.
The slow movements, breathing, and meditation have many health benefits.
This is why we decided to practice Tai Chi.
Also, it just closed a missing link in our exercise regime, as we both walk/jog and throw weights around, we wanted something that was close to Radio Taiso
Radio Taiso, when translated, means radio exercise, usually performed to music and broadcasted on the radio in the morning.
Radio Taiso is linked to the concept of Ikigai as it aligns with the core principles of keeping moving and finding meaning and purpose.
So keep moving and get in shape.
Find a routine that works for you.
- Certified Ikigai Coach – Passionate about guiding people to their purpose
- Author of Ikigai: Purpose Filled Life ikigaipurposefilledlife.com
- Founder of Modern Ikigai, inspiring modern living through Ikigai
