The Ikigai Diet

Cardio is one of the pillars of longevity exercise, along with leg strength, upper body strength, and balance. So, in this video, I share my cardio exercise, which is the Japanese Jogging Technique I developed based on the popular Japanese Walking Technique. I switched to this cardio exercise because I found some problems with Japanese Walking.

I'm 64 and Japanese — Why I Switched from Japanese Walking to Japanese Jogging
https://youtu.be/HJDx4zX1Dgk

4 days ago | [YT] | 1

The Ikigai Diet

I'm 64 and Japanese. In this video, I am sharing 3 balance exercises I do to stop falls after 60. This is part 3 of my strength at 64 series:
I'm 64 and Japanese — 6 Exercises I Do to Double My Leg Strength
I'm 64 and Japanese — 6 Exercises I Do to Double My Upper Body Strength. The series focuses on increasing healthspan after 60. The leg exercises I covered directly relate to the movement you are required to do in your 60s, 70s, and beyond. The same is true for the upper body strength exercises. One critical movement and posture is what you need to hold to prevent falls, since hip fracture is one of the biggest causes of death among senior citizens. Both leg strength and upper body strength support it. But there is another aspect in fall prevention, and that is balance. So by watching all three videos, you will be best prepared for fall prevention.

I'm 64 and Japanese — 3 Balance Exercises I Do to Stop Falls After 60
https://youtu.be/0Qj3WuzZ05k

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

The Ikigai Diet

This is my personal advanced routine, not the most popular routine in Japan — and not a recommendation for everyone. In my last video, I'm 64 and Japanese — 6 Exercises I Do to Double My Leg Strength, I shared the 6 leg exercises I personally do at 64. Today I close the loop and share what I do for my upper body. If you have not seen the leg video yet, I recommend you start there and then come back to this one, because the two together are my full strength routine.

Here is what I will cover today.
First, a quick recap of my 6 leg exercises, so you can see my whole strength routine in one place, not just the upper body half of it.
Second, 5 reasons why you need upper body strength to increase healthspan, not only leg strength. This is where most longevity plans after 60 go wrong. Grip, pulling strength, and the ability to push yourself up from the floor matter more for the second half of your life than almost anyone tells you.
And finally, my 6 upper body exercises.

I'm 64 and Japanese — 6 Exercises I Do to Double My Upper Body Strength
https://youtu.be/fp50EPIgdgA

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4

The Ikigai Diet

I'm 64 and Japanese — 6 Exercises I Do to Double My Leg Strength at 64
This is my personal advanced routine, not the most popular routine in Japan — and not a recommendation for everyone. In my last video, This Is What We Actually Do to Stay Strong, I shared the 6 MOST POPULAR exercises among Japanese over 60 based on national data from SSF, MHLW Health Japan 21, and JOA. Those are what the average Japanese over 60 actually does. The average Japanese over 60 is healthier than the average American over 60, but average is not optimal. In this video, I share what I personally do at 64 to keep my leg strength, based on my own medical checkup results. Exercise is always relative to your fitness level, regardless of age. I will show you the advanced version I do, and if that matches your fitness level, please follow it, but if it is too hard, adjust the style to your level, or find exercises suitable for you.

I'm 64 and Japanese — 6 Exercises I Do to Double My Leg Strength
https://youtu.be/A4QBctyyZLQ

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 10

The Ikigai Diet

Hi, my name is Sachiaki Takamiya, a 64-year-old biohacker based on Japanese natural health and the author of Live Wiser, Not Smarter.

Have you seen the video called 6 Exercises the Japanese do to Double Their Leg Strength After 60? As a Japanese person living in Japan, I was surprised — because we don't do those exercises here. In this video, I will break down all 6 exercises from that viral video and explain why they are not part of daily life in Japan. Then I will share what we actually do — the 6 most popular exercises among Japanese people over 60, based on real national data. This is not my opinion. It is what the data shows us.

What you will learn in this video:

Why the 6 viral exercises are not Japanese longevity practice
What the Sasakawa Sports Foundation SSF National Sports-Life Survey says Japanese people over 60 actually do most often
How Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare MHLW Health Japan 21, and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association JOA tackle leg weakness and locomotive syndrome with Locotra
How to build leg strength after 60 the Shizenha way — simple, sustainable, and made for daily life

I'm 64 and Japanese — This Is What We Actually Do to Stay Strong
https://youtu.be/-zYkiHafA58

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 5

The Ikigai Diet

Most longevity plans after 60 focus on the same three things — what to eat, how to exercise, and how to sleep better. But in Okinawa, Kyotango, and Hong Kong, which currently has the highest life expectancy, there is a fourth pillar that almost no one talks about. It is not a food, not a supplement, and not a workout. And without it, the other three do not work as well as they should. This missing secret is also a part of the Power 9 of the world Blue Zones that were introduced by Dan Buettner.

In this video, I will first share 4 secrets of longevity addressed at The 1st World Longevity Summit in Kyotango, because this missing factor is included, and then the Power 9 of the Blue Zones, and finally, how to integrate this missing secret into your life.

What Every Longevity Plan After 60 Is Missing (It's Not Food)
https://youtu.be/wSLFQ7K7tic

1 month ago | [YT] | 5

The Ikigai Diet

How can you support autophagy for three days without skipping a single meal? I have come up with a method that I call the 3-Day Pulsed Autophagy Reset. A conventional 3-day water fast activates autophagy through one pathway: complete energy deprivation. But prolonged fasting risks nutrient deficiency, muscle loss, and fatigue — especially in summer. This method works differently. It pulses autophagy repeatedly over three days using multiple synergistic pathways: nutrient scarcity through a low-protein, low-carb diet; energy and stress depletion through exercise, heat and cold exposure, and a non-sedentary lifestyle; and caloric restriction mimetics — natural compounds like spermidine in natto and curcumin in turmeric. The key insight: spermidine can trigger autophagy even when mTOR is active. That means you do not need to fast to clean your cells. In winter, you can try a 3-day water fast or a 3-day natto fast, eating just two packs of natto a day. But in summer, I recommend this 3-Day Pulsed Autophagy Reset — three meals a day, sufficient nutrients, and no meal skipping.

How Natto Keeps Autophagy On Without Fasting
https://youtu.be/PtE7_lKsc2Q

1 month ago | [YT] | 15

The Ikigai Diet

What is missing from the viral Sardine Fast? In this video, I compare the popular 3-Day Sardine Fast with my preferred Japanese alternative: a 3-Day Natto Fast.

The Sardine Fast can function as a fast-mimicking diet because it provides virtually no carbohydrates while supplying protein, high-quality fats, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-9 from olive oil, vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium, creatine, and collagen.

However, sardines contain virtually no fiber. After three days without fiber, beneficial gut bacteria may lack the fuel they need.

Natto provides fiber, fermented soy protein, and beneficial bacteria.

I also discuss natto’s spermidine content and its proposed role as an autophagy-supporting compound through pathways beyond mTOR.
While natto protein activates mTOR, I explain why I believe spermidine may help activate autophagy at the same time—creating a fasting approach that may share some features with a water fast, while still providing nutrition.

At the end, I explain exactly how and when to practice this 3-Day Natto Fast.

The Sardine Fast Is Missing Something — Why I Prefer a 3 Day Natto Fast
https://youtu.be/R-Huyeh4q7c

1 month ago | [YT] | 6

The Ikigai Diet

I've promoted bodyweight training outdoors for years — box jumps, sprinting, natural movement under the sun. But this summer, something shifted. The sun itself became the problem. In this video, I share why I joined a gym at 64 and how I have rediscovered the benefits of gym workouts.

For those of you who have followed this channel, you know I've never been a big fan of gym workouts. I've promoted bodyweight strength training, especially done outdoors — the Ninja workout, the Ichiro protocol, training in nature. However, recent summers in Japan have become increasingly intense, and exercising outdoors under strong UV radiation carries real risks for your skin, especially as you age. At the same time, gym equipment has evolved dramatically since I last trained indoors. The machines are safer, more biomechanically sound, and you can choose to work out with lighter weights — it doesn't have to be about heavy lifting. There's also a youthful energy in the gym that's genuinely uplifting. And building muscle, as we've discussed before, directly impacts confidence, self-esteem, and healthy aging. I wouldn't say gym workouts are better than bodyweight training. Everything has its place. But for summer months — and for biohacking your healthspan — the gym deserves a seat at the table.

Bodyweight Training Has a Hidden Flaw — Why Summer Pushed Me Into the Gym
https://youtu.be/UFqi0Sq8O8E

2 months ago | [YT] | 6

The Ikigai Diet

Japan has a national healthcare system, and every municipality provides its residents with free annual medical check-ups and consultations. In the United States, this is done by private doctors — and it's not free. At my latest check-up consultation, I received a health pamphlet with personalized recommendations on diet, exercise, and alcohol intake. Some of the advice is specific and unique to our town in Shiga Prefecture — one of the longest-living regions in the world. For example, they recommend a walking exercise inspired by a Sengoku warlord who walked 670 kilometers across Japan. The dietary advice includes Ichi Ju San Sai (one soup, three dishes), the principle of Shindofuji (eating locally and seasonally), and a low-salt miso soup recipe. These are the kinds of recommendations you simply don't get in the West. In this video, I'm sharing exactly what's inside that pamphlet — straight from the world's longevity capital.

Why Japan Gives Everyone This Secret Health Report (And the US Doesn't)
https://youtu.be/EFwwazVHxZo

2 months ago | [YT] | 12