The COVID-19 pandemic may have been keeping people at home for quite some time now to avoid the worsening of the condition by being exposed to the illness.
However, this does not stop seniors in Japan from attending to their physical activities to stay fit and healthy.
Indeed, the elderly individuals of the country with the oldest population in the entire world can still do their work out and this is all thanks to a YouTube video they watch every day.
Entitled, "Human Taiso," or "Human Exercise" in English, this video was made available for public viewing via a YouTube link by Human Life Care, an elderly care-home company.
This care-home operator has been conducting exercise classes accompanied by a video at its various care centers for quite some time now.
This time though is extra special, especially that the organization has expressed its ardent desire to take part during this time of crisis brought by the pandemic coronavirus.
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Making Home Confinement Worthwhile
Human Life Care's strategy department manager, Satoshi Matsuzaka said, he knows there are people walking as their daily exercise. However, in times like this, when the coronavirus outbreak is fast-spreading, people avoid going out. And with this workout video, the company representative said, he hopes people, especially the elderly, can still exercise at home through the YouTube video despite their confinement at home.
Just recently, Japan canceled all its public events, closed down schools and universities, and advised people to work from home to help prevent the further spreading of the infectious disease.
The seniors, specifically, are susceptible to the serious effects of coronavirus. Current reports have it that Japan now has a total number of 963 COVID-19 cases.
Out of this number, 33 deaths, 715 active cases, and 49 serious or critical conditions have been recorded. The good news though is that 215 patients have already recovered from the illness.
Japan: The Oldest Population in the World
Japan is known for being the nation with the oldest population in the whole world with over 28 percent of all the people there aged more than 65 years old. As for the video, it lasts for five minutes featuring stretches and exercises developed for the seniors to boost their blood flow.
It is also designed to strengthen their back muscles and feet. 79-year-old Rieko Kojima said, she is having fun while she is following the exercise video and therefore, thinks it is good for her and all the other older adults. Rieko got her exercise at the Human Life Center located in Saitama, the northern part of Tokyo, Japan.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government has switched its initiatives to contain the widespread of coronavirus from airports and seaports to concentrating in communities and asking the residents to just stay home. The messages have been mixed though.
The media stays positive, reporting that the virus is just mild and is likely to disappear as the summer season arrives. Consequently, not all local communities are abiding by the prime minister's request to close schools.
There is not much detailed information on the symptom available from the medical doctors and authorities. Only healthcare workers are vocal about their concerns.
