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Makko-ho: Five Minutes Physical Fitness Book Review

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Special thanks to guest author, Tony Notarianni for another excellent contribution!

Recently I read a book called, Makko-ho: Five Minutes Physical Fitness, by Mr. Haruka Nagai.

Summary:

Makkō-Hō is a system which through regular practice can produce a huge range of benefits for just about anybody at any age.  This book gives a good clear breakdown of the four main exercises and also some detail on the science behind the purpose and results of the exercises.  Although not a complete guide to the system (which would be an impossible feat anyway) the material provides a great opportunity to begin study and try for yourself. 

So first of all what is it?  Makkō-Hō is a complete system of exercises for wellbeing created in Japan during the mid 1900’s by the father of the book’s author.  The main benefits of this system are: increased flexibility, symmetrical skeletal alignment, nerve stimulation, improved circulation, overall good health, and even increased libido.  The founder invented this system after having been paralyzed across half of his body and seriously ill after a stroke.  He was told that he would probably never work again and would need constant care for the rest of his life even though he was only 42.  Being a very independent character he was not ready to accept this future of boredom or to be a burden upon his family.  He obtained the idea of certain postures from Buddhist prayer positions which he maintained regularly.  Over time these prayer poses developed into four main exercises which are the core of Makkō-Hō today and at the same time he managed to heal himself dramatically.  In other words the system is on first glance extremely simple and capable of remarkable regeneration.  The exercises themselves are probably familiar to students of Yoga or Japanese martial arts.  In fact I have personally seen and practiced these exercises several times in the past in different settings.  However this book clearly demonstrates that in order to really get the full benefits the student needs to study very hard and if possible find a qualified teacher to help them have the correct form.  This book is in fact not just a list of exercises.

What is in the book? Chapter Breakdown

Two Kinds of Love: Overprotection and Discipline

The introductory chapter highlights all that is wrong with many aspects of society, such as our lack of willingness to experience hardship for the sake of long term benefit.  Essentially this early truth sets up the reader for the arduous nature of what will be required later.

Lack of Use Leads to Aging and Functional Failure

In this section Mr. Nagai describes much that most of us should now know. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that this was written in 1972 describing trends of modern living and predictions that have since born out.

God Planned the Human Body as a Delicately Balanced Machine

For me this was quite an important section of the book.  Looking at the body as a whole system with constantly regenerating living cells creates a perspective that helps the reader to get an understanding of how Makkō-Hō actually works.
Maintaining Good Circulation

At this point the book introduces some basic concepts about the major role of healthy circulation and nerve tissue in the body.  Using common analogies these concepts are clearly presented to generate recognition of the importance of these systems.

The joints: Inspecting and correcting
In reading this area I had an epiphany of study.  Quite bluntly Mr. Nagai points out that if you can’t demonstrate full hip flexibility then you are, in a sense, out of shape.  I had to re-read this several times while I internally argued that only a small percentage of the population can do these stretches however I soon had to concede that going by averages in fitness is not going to get us all very far.

Structure of the pelvic zone and the hips
This section through diagrams gives some rudimentary understanding of the lower body.  It seems that a key component of Makkō-Hō is the importance of maintaining a healthy, aligned and supple structure in this area.

Makkō-Hō Exercises

 
This section includes the 4 main exercises of Makkō-Hō.  There are photographs and diagrams demonstrating both correct and incorrect form.  The information is extremely clear and well written.  It left me with little doubt as to the intended objective however I did find the exercises very hard to perform even with the constant encouragement that repetition would work eventually.

Some Rules for Practicing Makkō-Hō Exercises

Here the author again covers the strict nature of doing the Makkō-Hō correctly, but also provides some guidelines on how and when to practice.  The basic rule of course being “Keep doing it right, and keep doing it daily”.

Effects of Makkō-Hō Exercises

The effects range from physical to psychological benefits.  Obviously when dealing with exercises that improve stability, flexibility and circulation the noticeable changes will be small but accumulative.  They will also benefit in a wide range of situations.

What is Missing?

For some of us even the beginning postures may be very difficult to get into.  You may have bad form before you even begin to perform the movement in which case the exercise may seem impossible.  Mr Nagai does give us some clues about using cushions in some of the exercises but unless you have some confidence and imagination you may get stuck.  There are other books I have seen in Japanese that show progressions for all of the exercises and it is a shame that these are not included in this English book.  Also, although essential, I think these exercises need to be supplemented with other activities.  Five minutes a day may not make you ‘fit’ but they certainly can give you a solid base of fitness.

Real Makkō-Hō?

As with all systems it is easy to get fooled by those who do not have the required qualification to teach.  This book is from the son of the founder of the system and quite legit.  If you do pursue a study of Makkō-Hō then be sure of where you get your knowledge from.  The Makkō-Hō headquarters website is here (Japanese only so use Google translator at your peril).

In the US there are two qualified instructors listed there.

Overseas
New York 多田　千恵子 Tada Tieko   212-980-0088  
Chicago 堀川　智子 Horikawa Tomoko  312-545-8221  

 

I have personally met and had a lot of great advice (plus encouragement) from Tomoko Horikawa.  She has a website that canbe found here, and is extremely knowledgeable.

Hopefully this relatively unknown art will spread more globally in the coming years.

About the Author

Tony Notarianni has been training in martial arts since the age of 12.  Up to this point, although quite active, he had very little interest in sports and fitness but that all changed over the coming years.  He started studying Sport as a subject at school and finally graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 1998.  Although not a typical sportsman and not a great fan of any one sport, Tony was always keen to try new activities and considers the world to be literally full of physical experiences to explore.  Before graduation he was working at a sports complex where he was a lifeguard and could join and observe many different forms of exercise.  He also taught circuit classes and was a qualified personal fitness instructor.  After graduation he chased the dollar and ended up working in Software Development.  Although becoming more sedentary he still has a deep rooted interest in improving himself physically and developing his knowledge.

Training as You Grow Older

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 One of the greatest challenges a long term fitness enthusiast faces is the debilitating impact of age.  Certainly everyone understands the concept but what does it actually mean?  The average person has a higher metabolism when they are younger, a faster recovery rate, greater use of energy stores and suppleness around the joints.  So why exactly do we age? Well did you know that for the average person the maximum heart rate is 220 – age?  That means when you are 20 your heart can go up to 200 bpm, whereas at 60 your max is 160bpm.  That’s a big difference.  Essentially like all human tissue the heart is constantly in a state or recreation, cells die and new ones are created.  However as the body gets older this ability to replace old cells with new ones becomes less efficient.  In a sense it is not the body that ages, but the ability to rejuvenate decreases over time.

That is the bad news.  The good news is that a lot can be done to counter-act the effects of ageing via exercise.  This can be divided into circulatory, respiratory, structural and the nerves.

How Does Exercise Help?

As mentioned the heart output decreases with age, generally a very fit endurance athlete has developed a large heart capacity.  That is the volume of blood per pump has increased as a result of training.  If age means that the heart will pump less frequently and become less powerful then what can be done?  Quite simply the best thing to do is make better use of the blood that is being sent around the body.  Exercises that improve blood circulation to the extremities are extremely beneficial at all ages and very useful for combating age.  Joint rotations, light resistance frequent repetition exercises are excellent for this.  Walking is perhaps the best of all.

As many biology students know, a major purpose of blood is to transfer oxygen around the body so focus should also be paid to the respiratory system.  It should also be mentioned that the oxygen in the body is very useful for cell reproduction too.  Breathing exercises not only help with good quality respiration but also assist with the structural stability of primarily the upper body but also the body as a whole.

Structurally speaking the body may be divided into bones, connective tissue and muscles for simplification.  As stated good blood flow and breathing will already provide a boost to these systems.  Perhaps we must accept that due to age repetitive actions will not be maintained to the same count as was possible in youth.  But what about strength?  Scientists have been studying muscle strength and age for at least the last 15 years and concluded that muscles can grow and remain strong at any age.  This means resistance exercises such as moderate and heavy weights will be very useful for maintaining structural strength.  Also bone mass is related to muscle mass directly, so strengthening muscles reduces the risk of damage to bones and increases calcium absorption.  Studies have shown that laboring women in areas with limited calcium in the diet have less cases of Osteoporosis than sedentary women with high calcium diets. In other words resistance exercise not only maintains more youthful strong muscles but also increase the utilization of chemicals like calcium in bone tissue.  Joining the muscles and the bones are connective tissues which get stiffer and less elastic if under utilized.  Lack of flexibility results in lack of mobility, this in turn impacts the benefits of exercise and increases the risk of injury.  Flexibility training such as Yoga or Makko-ho is very useful for combating decreased flexibility and also rejuvenating connective tissue.

Stretching and structural organization is beneficial not only for maintaining mobility but also because it opens up an often forgotten part of the body called the nervous system.  It is not possible to strengthen nerves directly and again age will deteriorate nerve function.  But, by using muscles and working on flexibility the nerves can be stimulated to be more effective in function.  This is important for not just general co-ordination but also the non-voluntary nervous system which is responsible for among many things, yes, the heart.

Taking the Holistic Approach

We have come full circle and this is an important point.  When we are younger we can focus on weights, or marathons and any kind of activity we like.  This is because our general health is fine and we simply pursue excellence in whatever activity we choose.  As we get older however the general health starts to decline if not maintained.  That is why aging persons should take a holistic approach to training to ensure all the important body systems are being stimulated.  The circulation, the breath, the structure and the nerves must all be improved upon.  It is very tempting to wait until the effects of age are experienced before reacting to change.  Of course it is fine to start exercising and focusing on health at any time.  However the best solution to aging is to prepare early on for the kind of body you will need as you do age.  Combine light exercises and breathing with heavy exercises and stretching now and save making major adjustments tomorrow.

About the Author

Tony Notarianni has been training in martial arts since the age of 12.  Up to this point, although quite active, he had very little interest in sports and fitness but that all changed over the coming years.  He started studying Sport as a subject at school and finally graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 1998.  Although not a typical sportsman and not a great fan of any one sport, Tony was always keen to try new activities and considers the world to be literally full of physical experiences to explore.  Before graduation he was working at a sports complex where he was a lifeguard and could join and observe many different forms of exercise.  He also taught circuit classes and was a qualified personal fitness instructor.  After graduation he chased the dollar and ended up working in Software Development.  Although becoming more sedentary he still has a deep rooted interest in improving himself physically and developing his knowledge.