That's Fit

The health benefits of pet ownership are well-documented -- lower blood pressure and less stress among them. But not everyone is able to keep a pet. Allergies, lifestyle, and restrictions on pet ownership in living spaces can prevent animal lovers from having a pet of their own.

In Tokyo, it's especially hard to keep a pet. The market for apartments is competitive, and landlords are increasingly banning pets from their properties. But a new cafe allows people to reap the benefits that pets can offer, without all the hassles that pet ownership can bring. At the Calico Cafe, customers can drink coffee, order snacks, and shop for a variety of goodies, all while enjoying a cuddle and a purr from the stores many cats.

Would a similar business be popular in the U.S? What do you think?

If your workout for the day calls for both weight training and cardio, you're better off saving the cardio for last. This popular approach came to be when people began stressing the importance of resistance training. Basically, holding off on the cardio until the second half of this workout ensures that you will have plenty of energy for the first half, which is when you're lifting. But, it turns out that there is another health reason to support why you should continue to workout in this order, and it has less to do with abs and more do with blood pressure.

A study at Kinki Welfare University in Hyogo, Japan revealed that jogging can counteract the spike in blood pressure caused by weight training. Researchers found that people who ran for twenty minutes after resistance training increased the elasticity of their arteries by 2 percent over those who performed their workout in reverse (i.e. cardio first, then resistance training).

How do you mend a broken heart? One Japanese company hopes that by giving their employees a day or two off, they can help those bruised hearts and egos mend it just a little faster. Interestingly, younger women only get a day off (only women work at the company), while older women get two. If you're over 30, you get three days off. Apparently, they believe younger women bounce back faster, I guess.

Not only does Hime & Company allow employees time to recover from a bad breakup, they also let their employees have two mornings a year to head out and hit the sales. Now that's a company policy I can get behind.

The ultimate in lazy health devices: a machine that doesn't even require you to stand or sit up in order to measure your body fat. Tanita Corporation has invented what it's calling "a world first" (I have no idea if that's true) in the form of a machine that can measure a person's body fat from a completely reclined position. It's designed for the morbidly obese and people with disabilities or limitations that make it difficult to reposition -- and in those cases it really is a good thing. Plus for the rest of us it's a nice option to have instead of, say, the water tank method of calculating body fat.

Three months ago, government officials in the city of Ise in Japan embarked on a Samurai diet in order to win a vicious war -- against obesity and metabolic syndrome, according to this article. Unfortunately, the program took an unexpected turn -- one government official had a heart attack while jogging and died in August. However, the 'Samurais' motored on and the program recently ended and results were promising, with the city's mayor shedding 12 lbs. Way to set a good example, Mr. Mayor!

I think this is a great idea and one that every municipal government should adopt. Encouraging healthy habits is especially effective when people in the public eye and in positions of authority get the ball rolling, don't you think?

The Japanese always seem to be at the forefront of technology, so it's no surprise that they've devised some ways to incorporate fitness into gadgets we use every day. Take the Japanese Fitness Phone, for example -- it's a phone that can measure your heart rate, act as a pedometer by counting your steps, and dish out fitness and nutrition advice.Guess what else it can do? I can tell you if you have bad breath. Just breath into it and it will tell you whether you're a-ok for that business meeting or whether you need gum or a mint pronto.

The fitness phone is aimed at the middle-aged working men of Japan -- and it's sure to be a hit since men in Japan have been getting larger over the last few years.

What do you think of weight loss and technology -- A good combination or no?

The world as a whole seems to get bigger and bigger, and people in Japan are no exception. Well, half of them are anyway. The male half.

That's right -- studies are showing that as men in Japan get heavier and become closer to obesity, the women of Japan are staying slim and even getting slimmer on average as the years go by. In the past few decade, women on average have lost 2 kg (4.4 lb), while men have gained 4 kg (8.8 lb.)

The reason behind these changes? Women are becoming more aware of the benefits of exercise, while men are working longer hours and socializing for work more.

The world is a big place and it seems like we get news items and magazine articles all the time about which nations are the healthiest or most-fulfilled. If you've ever wondered about how people in different locations around the globe stay fit and happy, this piece is pretty fun and interesting.

It includes tips and secrets from people as near and far as Florida, Mexico, South Africa, Ireland, Japan, England and France on how to maintain a healthy mind and body. I don't imagine these people are experts or anything but sometimes it's nice to take advice from people based on personal experience.

Some of the secrets doled out include doing a water fast once every couple of weeks (Japan), get ting outside and walking as much as possible (Ireland) and breathing to lower stress (South Africa). If you're interested in all of the tips and the perceived benefits then read the piece in full.

Have you got any health or wellness tips you can share?

We all want good skin, and we've all heard of countless different ways to go about getting it, but sitting in an enormous bowl of Ramen noodle soup? That's a new one.

A Japanese spa is offering just that: the opportunity to dip yourself in noodles to get a healthier glow. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it!) it's not real noodles (just noodle-shaped spa treatments) but it is real broth. The pork-based broth contains collagen, hence the skin-enhancing benefits.

The treatment costs about $29 -- would you do it? I think I'll pass, and save my Ramen noodles for meals only.


Via Luxury Launches

Japan has some of the longest lifespans in the world. And while this is a sign that they are healthier on average than the rest of the world, longer lifespans are putting a strain on the healthcare system in Japan.

New studies are showing that spending on healthcare in Japan is lower than in US, and there just aren't enough resources to keep up with the needs of patients, so many of whom are elderly. And the result? Doctors and other healthcare professionals are cutting corners where ever they can -- yikes! Apparently longevity isn't always a good thing, at least as far as the healthcare system is concerned. Still, a country whose patients are just too healthy is far better off than one in which people would rather die young than eat healthy.

Physically interactive games are all the rage lately, with the most common examples belonging to the Nintendo Wii game system. But pretending to swing a golf club and play the guitar are one thing while arm wrestling in a Japanese arcade with the "Arm Spirit" game is something else altogether -- you could end up with a broken arm.

Game makers insist that the mechanical arm players "wrestle" with quote "isn't that strong," but they still can't explain how 3 different players ended up with broken arms. They're recalling the 150 "Arm Spirits" from arcades around Japan to check them for malfunctions, although a rep says "We think that maybe some players get overexcited and twist their arms in an unnatural way."

Yikes. Did they get their quarters back?

The Japanese seem to go in extremes when it comes to weight -- they're either very slender or they're a Sumo wrestler. It seems like you rarely see a 'mildly chubby' person from Japan. So what's their secret (for the skinny, not the sumo)? According to this article it's probably these 5 things:

• In Japan more people walk or ride their bikes to get around, and few drive. Natural, built-in exercise.
• The Japanese eat more fish than any other culture. Sushi, of course, but also many other types of cooked fish and seafood.
• Tofu is a staple of most Japanese diets and it's been shown to reduce risk of heart disease and cancer.
  
• People eat slower in Japan. Partially it's the culture, and partially it's the chopsticks, but it serves the purpose of giving the brain time to realize the stomach is full before they overeat.
• People in Japan generally eat more fresh vegetables, and less canned and frozen ones. They also eat more vegetables overall than Americans (and other cultures).

Via Fitsugar

Dancing is the latest trend in fitness, particularly of the belly, salsa and exotic variety. What about Hawaiian Hula dancing? Here, it seems to be considered no more than a fun way to burn some extra calories but apparently, it's serious business in Japan -- and it's bringing in some serious dollars ... um .... yen. The Hula craze is spreading like wildfire throughout Japanese fitness clubs, and stores are cashing too in by selling traditional hula outfits.

Hula dancing is based on balanced motion between the left and ride sides of the body. According to instructor Yayoi Iida, the bottom half of the body is used to keep the rhythm of the dance, while the upper half expresses the meaning behind it. Wow, sounds complex ... and kind of fun. What do you think?

I was pretty shocked to see this pizza ad from Japan over at Fitsugar. It's like a bunch of people got together and made a list of the top 5 foods in the world and put them all together with a flashy ad daring people to eat it. It reminds me of when I was little and I would stir up a bunch of the grossest things I could find in the fridge and try to convince my little brother to eat the concoction. Except this is worse because I bet people actually eat it. And I bet they enjoy it too.

Here's what it is: a 12-inch cheese pizza with a bunch of veggies on it, with a crust that consists of 12 pigs in blankets, 12 cheese rolls, topped off with bacon, ham, Italian sausage and hamburger patties. Fitsugar did the math and they estimated it to be about 5100 calories for the whole thing, which is lower than I thought -- I would've guessed 10,000. The only way they could make it worse for you is by deep-frying the whole thing. Which I hope to god they don't.

Is this really what the Japanese think we North Americans eat?

The Japanese are known for coming up with one crazy invention after another, and here's one more: Coin-operated fitness machines. They're popping up in convenicen stores around Japan, according to Fitsugar.

In all fairness, it's not that much of a workout. It's called conbini fitness, and it entails holding your balance while footpads move and vibrate. Apparently, it give you an aerobic workout, though I can't see how. Still, I doubt I'll be hopping on one any time soon -- I'd rather pay a monthly fee at the gym than $4 per 10 minutes. How about you?