Just a few creative ways to get fit.

Exercise, we all have to do it but it can be so boring. If only exercising was more fun then more people might actually do it. Well, Japan has a whole lot of interesting exercise programs and unique dances that are sure to not only get you sweating but also leave you utterly confused about what exactly you’re watching. Today we’re going to take a look at 3 of these strange Japanese workouts.

3. EBIKANICS: The Shrimp and Crab Dance

You’ll feel crabby after this song gets stuck in your head.

EBIKANICS is a popular song and dance created by the two person children’s music group, KEROPONS. The song is about, not surprisingly, shrimp (ebi) and crab (kani). With its catchy tune and relatively easy to do movements you won’t be able to stop yourself from shaking your pincers and burning those excess calories away. Using this dance to lose weight does have two downsides though. The first is that in order to feel the full effect of the workout you’re going to have to get your hands on a shrimp or crab costume. The second is that you’ll probably feel like eating seafood after every dance session.

2. Ramen Calisthenics

Lose weight with this ramen themed workout!

Calisthenics, which are typically referred to as taisō in Japanese, are an extremely common form of exercise in Japan. There are so many different calisthenics programs in Japan and it seems like every week someone comes up with a new one. Although a lot of these taisō are fairly unremarkable and even rather boring, there are many that are quite strange. And the number 2 entry in this list just happens to be one of the strange taisō.

Mysterious Ramen Calisthenics (秘伝！らーめん体操 hiden! raamen tais a workout that revolves around that delicious noodle dish, ramen. Much like EBIKANICS this workout also features a catchy melody that you’re going to have trouble getting out of your head. As for the actual movements, they’re all based on the kinds of things that you do at a Japanese ramen shop. For a step by step walk-through of all the major parts of the workout look under the video.

Step 1: Let’s start out by walking.



Step 2: Once you get your ramen, pick up the bowl and do the bowl stretch.

Step 3: Now split apart your chopsticks.

Step 4: Mix up the noodles with the soup.

Step 5: Let’s blow on the soup. Breathe in through your nose and out through your moth.

Step 6: Last step! Pick up the bowl and drink up the soup. But don’t overdo it with the sodium.

So now that you know all the steps you can go ahead and give it a shot for yourself! Just keep in mind that much like in the case of EBIKANICS you may end up with very specific food cravings after each workout. Also, I find it strange that the workout doesn’t include a step where you eat the noodles but maybe that’s just because they’re advocates of cutting carbs?

1. Restless Adolescent Calisthenics #18

This is the workout for all of you who love taking selfies. At our number 1 spot for this list we have Muzu Muzu Taisō Dai 18, which very roughly translates to Restless Adolescent Calisthenics #18. This exercise program is brought to you by NHK, the Japanese public broadcasting organization, and it features the Japanese idol group Yumemiru Adolesence, along with some of NHK’s popular mascot characters, such as Domo-kun and Ganko-chan.

This workout is, in a sense, supposed to be the taisō for today’s generation. It is based on the kinds of things modern teenagers do with their smartphones and so that means that most of the movements are related to taking selfies and other kinds of pictures. Although it may not be the most effective workout, it certainly is an interesting one and, just like the previous two exercises, it features a song that you’ll have a hard time forgetting. So check it out below. Even if this doesn’t end up being your workout of choice, you’ll at least learn how to take a cute selfie after watching this video. As with number 2 a full break down of all the steps can be found under the video.

Wactch video here (embedding not allowed).

Section 1: Exercises that make you look cute in selfies

Step 1: To look your cutest in a selfie raise your arm to a 45 degree angle.

Step 2: Or you can put your hand to your cheek, like you have a toothache, and do the “cavity pose.”

(For guys)

Step 2: Put your hand behind your neck and do the “injured neck” pose.

Section 2: Friendship related exercises



Step 1: Work out your thumb so you can use your smartphone to make a lot of friends.



Step 2: Now that you have friends you’ll want to take cool pictures with them so practice your jumps!

Section 3: Dating related exercises



Step 1: If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend then the two of you can act like monkeys and do a heart pose.



Step 2: For those that don’t have boyfriends but want to look like you do, just bend your arm back when you’re up against a wall and then take a picture. It’ll look like your boyfriend is in front of you and off screen.



Interestingly, when this video came out last summer some people criticized it for being “overly self-indulgent” and lacking any real educational purpose. This is mainly because it was NHK that made it and they are largely known for their very informative and educational programming. In any case, regardless of your opinion on this matter, hopefully, you can use this unique workout to lose that last bit of weight you’ve been trying to get rid of. And even if you don’t then at least now you know how to take cute selfies.

So that brings us to the end of the list. However,that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any more of these strange Japanese workouts. There’s plenty more so stay tuned for part 2!

For part 2, check out the link below.

3 More Wacky Japanese Workouts And Dances (Videos)