Can a Long-Running Radio Show Make You Healthier?

There is a long history of workout advice being spread over home and broadcast media. Jane Fonda topped home video charts in the early 1980s with her workout videos, and the form has endured in the public consciousness enough to — among other things — be satirized in the film The Substance. But following along with a pre-recorded workout is only one way fitness tips can be spread to a wide audience, and it turns out that one of the most successful examples of the form doesn’t need visuals to make an impact.

In a recent article for the Associated Press, Stephen Wade chronicled the enduring popularity of Radio Taiso in Japan. Its history spans almost 100 years: the broadcasts debuted in 1928 and can still be heard today. As Wade explains, the program lasts for 10 minutes and includes walking participants through stretching excercises which “are suitable for all ages and capabilities.”

Among the features of this program, Wade adds, are the ways in which it is customizable. If someone is looking for a low-impact workout, they can do that; if they want to put their entire body into it, that is also an option. That may help explain why millions of listeners take part in these exercises every day.

Given that Japan is known for having a long-lived population, it isn’t strange to think that this long-running broadcast is a contributing factor there. There’s another aspect to Radio Taiso’s potential effects as well: these exercises can be done in public places. One of the participants who spoke to the Associated Press — 83-year-old Kenji Iguchi — addressed the social aspect of these morning workouts.

“Most of the faces are familiar, and coming here and getting together with them is also one of the things I look forward to,” Ighuchi told the AP.

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Given the growing evidence of socializing helping people grow older in a healthier manner, it isn’t outlandish to think that interacting with other people on a regular basis isn’t helpful in its own right. And if reading about Radio Taiso has you inspired to work it into your regular routine, the Japan Society contains an English-language version of the workout.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…