The Japanese Fukutsuji Method: a simple towel exercise that helps you lose weight

Sports science does not stand still, and along with its development, new ways to improve your body come into our lives. But despite modern breakthroughs, sometimes the genius lies in long-known things. For example, Dr. Fukutsuji’s technique has been familiar to the world for years. The Japanese doctor spent more than 10 years to prove its effectiveness. According to this method, all you need to do to lose weight is to lie on a towel rolled up in a roll. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Let’s find out how such a simple static exercise affects our body.

What are the benefits of Fukutsuji’s method and why has it become popular?

Before publishing a monograph with numerous studies, Dr. Fukutsuji studied for a long time what changes occur in our spine as we age. The doctor found that over time, the hip and pelvic bones diverge, the intervertebral discs flatten, and this leads to a decrease in height and… visual expansion of the waist. That’s why the Japanese scientist decided to emphasize in his theory the improvement of posture, which in addition will help to correct the figure.

Fukutsuji’s method gained popularity due to its simplicity. It can not be attributed to exhausting training, it does not require a strict diet plan, and during the exercise you just need to lie flat on the back on the roller. And, by the way, this practice has a number of positive effects:

• Forms the correct position of the bones of the skeleton: the spine, ribs and pelvis. Thanks to this aligns posture, back pain disappears, chest is lifted.
• Muscle apparatus becomes toned. Back muscles are stretched, spasms and tightness in different sections of the spine and shoulder girdle are relieved.
• Breathing is equalized, lung ventilation is improved.
• Internal organs get “in place”, along with this normalizes digestion.
• Blood circulation improves, and the brain receives enough oxygen. This helps to get rid of chronic fatigue syndrome, improve mood and performance.

Necessary equipment

To try out the Japanese technique on yourself, you will need a gymnastic mat for comfort and a terry towel about one and a half meters long. It should be rolled up into a tight roll and fixed with a ribbon, rope or rubber band. It is important to pay attention to the length of the resulting roll: it should correspond to the width of your back or slightly exceed it.

The diameter of the roll is selected individually. Its minimum value is about 5 centimeters and is indicated for people with a large excess weight, poor physical fitness and spinal diseases. To start lying immediately on a wide roll is not recommended, it is fraught with unpleasant sensations after practice.

Clothing is better to choose comfortable and not constraining movements: for example, a free T-shirt, shorts or pants. Sneakers and socks can be left off, for women it is recommended to remove the bra. So the body will be able to fully relax.

Technique of exercise

The main rule of the Fukutsuji method is that you need to get rid of tension and really relax. But first you need to sit on a mat, place a roller on it and smoothly lower yourself onto it so that it is at about the level of the navel. It is important to do this without sudden movements, so as not to cause discomfort, and hold the towel with your hands.

Legs should be placed at shoulder width, feet slightly rolled on the inner side, thumbs touching. The arms are stretched above the head, palms down, little fingers touching each other. At first, not everyone can straighten their arms, this indicates the presence of disorders in the spine. However, with regular exercise, you will be able to take the necessary posture with the least difficulty and get rid of back problems.

When performing the exercise, the head should lie flat, do not tilt it. Ideally, you should stay in the correct posture for five minutes, which is enough for one session. However, if at first the exercises cause you a lot of discomfort, reduce the time to 2-3 minutes and gradually increase it, but do not exceed the 5-minute limit. Otherwise, the spine will encounter excessive strain.

At the end, it is important to get off the roller smoothly: first roll over on your side, and then gently stand up. No sudden movements! Most likely, you will experience slight discomfort after the exercise, but remember that this is normal, unless the practice causes you real pain.

Does the Japanese method help you lose weight?

Naturally, the question arises: how does an exercise aimed mainly at correcting posture help to lose weight? The fact is that due to the stretching of the spine and improved blood circulation, the fat from the abdomen is distributed in the right way. Thanks to this effect, the waist is drawn out, the body silhouette becomes more taut and slender. But in the global weight loss should not rely only on the Japanese method: with its help, the fat still does not disappear anywhere.

For the best effect, the author of the theory advises to exercise in the morning, about the same time, and do it every day. By the way, there are also different modifications of the exercise depending on the goals. For example, to achieve a thin waist, the roller is placed under the lower edge of the ribs, and to correct the chest – clearly under it. There is even a whole weight loss program based on this exercise, which includes all types of Japanese practice. But it still involves additional sports activities, as well as proper nutrition. So, no matter how much we would like to achieve results quickly and effortlessly, we need to work on the quality of the body in a comprehensive way.