Asahi

[varjohaltia]

I came across this video of a new Finnish sport called Asahi (yes, the name is Japanese for sunrise). It's based on all manner of martial arts and physiotherapy, developed specifically to combat maladies common to office workers and an aging population, such as neck, back and balance problems. The more I read about it the cooler it sounds, as it takes a lot from its Asian influences in combining breathing with holistic body movement and mental relaxation. Think Tai Chi without the martial aspect but with specific scientific attention low-impact exercise and muscle relaxation. It has a lot of mental, imaginary components to motivate and guide the continuous movements and group activity, and purportedly is very effective in combating depression as well.

The website for the commercialized version is here, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find much info in English.