HEALTH AND BEAUTY ARCHIVE: 538: Pool party Keep your cool this summer with a visit to one of Tokyo’s many pools. Metropolis shows you where to take the plunge. 536: Don't sweat it With the hot and humid months upon us, Cristy Burne share some tips on staying cool. 534: Swept away Put away your broomsticks—all you really need to soar through the clouds is an armful of nylon and a good gust. Cristy Burne checks out the air up there. 532: Tee time Can’t keep it on the fairway? The ‘yips’ invaded your game? Rob Smaal finds a few experienced golf pros who can work out your kinks on the links. 530: Balancing act An ancient science is helping modern men and women find peace, health and the always elusive “balance.” Tama M. Lung takes a closer look at ayurveda. 528: Kicking on Former K-1 Japan champion Nicholas Pettas shares his love of martial arts at the new Spirit Gym in Nogizaka. Chris Betros goes along to watch. 526: On call A revolutionary daily disease self-management system is making life easier for diabetics. Chris Betros finds out about Lifewatcher. 524: Team spirit From rugby to roller hockey, Tokyo is teeming with sports clubs for the expat athlete. Rob Smaal shows you how to get in the game. 522: Type casting Second-generation blood-type expert Toshitaka Nomi looks at the links between blood classifications and health. Mick Corliss reports. 520: Like a rock Climbing instructor Luke Kearns gets a grip on Tokyo's best indoor climbing gyms. 516: The personal touch Madonna and Matsui aren't the only ones who need help staying fit. Hanna Kite pumps it up with the top personal trainers in Tokyo. 514: From here to maternity Kavitha Rao turns to a handful of Tokyo experts to track down baby basics for nervous expat mothers-to-be. 502: Tour de Morton, part deux Don Morton gets back on two wheels for a leisurely ride out toward Haneda Airport. ISSUES 499- ISSUES 449- ISSUES 399- ISSUES 349- ISSUES 299-

Working it out

Struggling to find an exercise class and instructor to suit your needs? Cathy Frances offers a few pointers on the latest fitness trends and the people who teach them.

Instructor Mako leads a high-impact hip hop class

"Exercising" is the most popular sports activity in Japan, according to the Institute for Free Time Design, with 33.4 million enthusiasts enjoying exercise classes in 2001. However, "exercise" in Japan doesn't necessarily refer to a dedicated workout regime; it is more likely to be one of various forms of aerobics, yoga or conditioning exercises.

Sports clubs are also doing their best to lure more people and corporate clients by expanding their facilities, providing an abundance of saunas, baths, Jacuzzis, lounge-beds by the pool and massage chairs in the reception.

Like the tourist industry, fitness moguls are placing greater emphasis on the aging population, targeting senior citizens who have plenty of time, money and a vested interest in looking after their health. Clubs are exploiting this market, by providing moderate intensity, slow-paced, cardiovascular conditioning and stretching classes during the day, to increase muscle strength, flexibility and endurance. Similar evening classes are being marketed toward the younger, toiling generations, influenced by active, older family members.

Losing the lycra
Aerobics is among the most popular classes, having come a long way from the days of Jane Fonda workout videos. Nowadays you can choose from a range of highly choreographed styles. Class schedules at fitness centers have also been strategically modified, away from traditional, high-impact, sweat-to-death aerobics, toward low-impact, stretch classes.

Fitness advisor Kyo Kobayashi pulls punches in her aerobics and aqua aerobics classes

Aerobics in all its forms is gaining in popularity over weight training, say trainers. "Both [Japanese] men and women tend to shy away from serious weight training," says Laura Ginsberg, a cultural anthropologist and former Tokyo aerobics instructor. "For men it is seen as vaguely homosexual to build up muscle. For Japanese women, well-defined muscles contradict ideals of feminine beauty, which stress slimness and cuteness." However, this damsel-like image hasn't stopped droves of women signing up for martial-arts fitness classes, which combine boxing, aikido, tae kwon do and karate-like moves with dance and music.

Four years ago, chains like Konami Sports embraced goshinbics (self-defense-robics) wholeheartedly, devoting an increasing percentage of classes to Body Combat, Body Pump and Boxercise. The next import is likely to be Rebound aerobics, which uses a mini trampoline to "put the bounce back into your routine" and is "one of the hottest fitness trends," according to the American Council on Exercise. It is also being used by the injured and disabled for rehab, as well as the elderly.

Meanwhile, more men are joining traditional aerobics classes, as Fonda-esque lycra is no longer a pre-requisite. Hideki Okamura, a Tokyo aerobics fan in his 30s, says, "My primary reason for joining is enjoyment. I like a class with well-structured moves that is slightly challenging, but avoid classes that are too crowded."

The right attitude
To get the most out of aerobics, you have to come in with the right attitude, says JNC Japan National Aerobics Champion and Tipness instructor Motomi Matsuzawa. "During the class you should forget work, stress and problems. A workout is for the spirit as well as the body. Everyone should leave the class feeling they have achieved something and had an enjoyable time."

So what are the fundamental points that can make one class more enjoyable than another? "Communication is the key to a good instructor," says Kyo Kobayashi, aqua aerobics specialist and president of fitness advisers Body Revolution. "Everyone comes to a class for different reasons, with different expectations-maybe for weight control, stress, psychological relief, physical exercise-but most of all, enjoyment.

"A skilled instructor can make everyone feel like they are being personally addressed, even in a large class, ensuring each participant leaves feeling satisfied. But 'communication' goes beyond words and touch," Kobayashi continues. "The teacher must generate a feeling within the entire class; motivating and hyping the participants. This is easier to achieve in an aqua class because of the wave movement between class members."

Let the music play
According to hip hop instructor Mako, "A professional won't just speak to the people in the front row or regular members. They speak to and have eye contact with everyone and continually scan and check the class for form, safety and level, rather than checking out their own reflection. In fact, the teacher should face the class and mirror the movements as much as possible." Mako, who studied funk dance in New York, also believes having the right music is vital. "Real-time music is much more enjoyable. I always try to select dance-style hip-hop tunes because hard-core American hip hop is too extreme for an exercise class and fake music is, well, it's awful. The muscle-stretch session requires a slower beat, but should still be uplifting and energizing."

Interestingly, everyone interviewed emphasized the "enjoyment" aspect of an exercise class, rather than the physical benefits or safety. Says Hideo Kurasawa, a middle-aged Honda R&D engineer: "Most Japanese work hard during the day, so we want to relax in our free time. I go to the sports club three times a week for relaxation, stress relief and to maintain good health." As opposed to the "no pain, no gain" ethic, Kurasawa says he would rather sweat in the sauna than the aerobics studio.

With this in mind, Tokyo sports clubs are increasingly taking on the role of community centers, places where people go to meet friends, relax-and in some cases-drink beer. An additional benefit few would admit to is joining a sports club to stand out from the crowd and meet people, especially members of the opposite sex, at the same time as getting fit and having fun. Sometimes no pain really does mean no pain.

Photo credit: Cathy Frances

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