Japan Is One Of The Healthiest Nations In The World – Here Are 6 Of Their Tricks To Improve Your Health!
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According to reports, Japan is the 5th healthiest nation in the world (1). The Japanese have a high life expectancy of 83.8 years and their infant mortality rate is extremely low. To be the no. 5 in a planet of 195 countries in terms of health is no mean feat! Surely, the Japanese are doing something right, which the rest of us are not.
The secret to the stellar health of the Japanese can be found in the book authored Katsuzo Nishi, the founder of Nishi Shiki. Nishi Shiki is a collection of exercises that aim to activate dormant body functions, and the book we’re talking about is The Nishi System of Health Engineering (2).
When Katsuzo was born, he was quite weak and doctors said he won’t live beyond the age of 20. However, he went to a monastery on a voyage to discover ancient health secrets. And what he found made him lead a healthy life of 75 years!
We present to you 6 of his health secrets that can help you lead as healthy a life as the Japanese:
1. Improve Your Capillary Circulation With Exercise
When blood flows to all organs of your body, you’re bound to feel better. You can improve your capillary circulation function with the help of this Nishi exercise. Lay on your back on the floor and put a solid pillow under your lower back where the spine curves. Now, raise your legs and arms while your knees and elbows are in a slightly bent position. Vibrate your legs and arms for 1-3 minutes.
2. Sleep On A Hard Bed
If your spine begins to curve in an unnatural way, you can expect to suffer from multiple health problems. The most common causes behind an abnormal spine curvature are your sitting posture, your sleeping posture, and of course, your soft bed. Hence, in addition to keeping your spine straight throughout the day, you should keep it so at night as well. This can be done by sleeping on a hard bed. A straightened spine will not only improve your digestion but also make you seem a bit taller!
3. Do The Palm And Sole Joining Exercise
This exercise can improve the function of your muscles as well as of the blood vessels and nerves in your thighs and belly. It also improves digestion and gives you a burst of energy!
For this exercise, you’ll have to lay flat on your back on the floor. Press your hands and feet together as if you’re praying. Your hands should rest on your chest. Extend and rejoin your palms several times to complete one part of this exercise. For the second part of this exercise, move your feet backwards and forwards 10 times. Your soles should be pressed together.
4. Use A Dense Pillow
Soft bedding is completely out if you wish to be as healthy as the Japanese! Katsuzo, in his book, recommends using dense, solid pillows to support your head and neck instead of soft ones. Why? Because the Japanese have this belief that a curved neck is an indicator of a short lifespan. And you can have a curved neck as it’s pretty damn difficult to control your neck’s position as you sleep. However, Katsuzo says you can control it by using a flat, dense pillow that lies at the curve where your head and neck meet. This can be very uncomfortable at first, so you might want to start with something soft and gradually progress to a solid pillow.
5. Do The Stomach And Spine Exercise
Start by sitting in the lotus position with your head facing the left and your gaze directed backwards. Stretch your arms and then raise your shoulders up and down. Get back to the initial position and turn your head towards the right and repeat the same motion. Again, return to the original position and repeat the exercise with your head bent down and then facing upwards. You should do this for 10 minutes straight.
6. Practice The Goldfish Exercise
This exercise, as you can tell by the name, is quite interesting! The purpose of the goldfish exercise is to correct your spine along with improving your physiological functions, immunity, and blood flow.
To do this exercise, you have to lie prostrate on the floor or a hard bed with your hands positioned behind the head. Your legs should be straight with your feet pointing upward in a 90-degree angle. Try to make your toes point to your face. Now, shift your hands just behind your neck with your elbows bent, putting your body weight on the floor. With your legs firmly stuck together begin to wriggle your body in a right to left motion like a fish swims without moving your spine. Do this for 1-2 minutes.
By employing these tips from Katsuzo Nishi, you too can strengthen your body and become as healthy as him and the people of his nation!
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