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    • Spring
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.

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        Just beyond Hiroshima City is a tranquil outdoor destination home to some of Japan's last remaining oosanshouo, the elusive giant salamander.
        Kyoto Oni Trail Outdoor Japanvideo

        The Oni Trail: Hiking Coastal Kyoto

        The mystical oni is prevalent in Japanese children’s stories, usually as a way to scare kids straight. Adventure Travel Kyoto is shedding a new light on this folklore and developing a new hiking route in the countryside of Kyoto.
    • Summer
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
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        The Sweet Secrets of Brewing Mead

        Wander into the world of mead brewing and find yourself immersed in a fascinating journey spanning centuries and continents.
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        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
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        An unforgettable way to intimately explore the Shonai Region in Yamagata is a culinary experience bringing bounty of the sea straight to your table.
    • Autumn
    • Winter
    • Near Tokyo
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Near Kyoto
    • All Regions
    • Article Map
    • Ocean and Beach
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • River and Lake
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Mountain and Land
    • Sky
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Snow and Ice
      • climbing mt. fuji off season

        Mt. Fuji: The Path Less Traveled

        Fuji-san is the most climbed mountain in the world. If you are in good shape, there is a way to avoid the traffic for a more peaceful Mt. Fuji experience during the off-season.
    • Travel
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
    • Food and Drinks
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
    • Races and Events
      • dd4d brewing

        DD4D Brewing

        In nearly e...
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        2023 Summer Music Festivals

        Get into the groove this green season while enjoying the great outdoors with family and friends.
        Summer Events Fireworks Festivals in Japan

        2023 Fireworks Festivals in Japan

        Enjoy these fireworks festivals held throughout Japan this summer and autumn.

Free Your Blades

When training for any sport, you need to get your entire body in shape; however winter sports workouts focus primarily on the lower body, while ocean sports such as surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and the recently popular standup paddling, work your upper body more.

As a trainer, I run into a large number of people with shoulder and neck problems. Chronic shoulder or neck pain can advance and manifest itself in other ways such as debilitating headaches.

Office workers spend an inordinate amount of time in front of computers, causing stressed shoulders and necks, and mothers have similar problems. Sports involving the upper body can further increase this pain and take the fun out of being active, so this issue I want to focus on your scapula, or shoulder blades.
Recently in Japan there was a fascination with the shoulder blade movements of Olympic swimming gold medal winner Kosuke Kitajima. TV announcers referred to them as the “wings of angels.” The scapula are the triangular bones of the upper back, and Kitajima’s scapula open up to the left and right with amazing flexibility in the breast stroke.

How much movement do you have in your shoulder blades? Since you can’t get a good look at your own scapula, ask a friend to place both hands on this area as you try to work their hands up and down, followed by an opening and closing movement. Move the scapula up by pulling your shoulders toward your ears and then pulling them down. The up motion may be easier, but put extra effort into the down motion.

When closing the shoulder blades, think of pressing them into the spine. Conversely, the act of opening should feel as if you are pulling them away from the spine. Creating separation from the spine is more difficult.

Slowly work through 10 repetitions of these movements and have them conform to your breathing. Now roll your shoulders and take note of the movement of your shoulder blades. Finally, raise both hands to the ceiling and rise to your tiptoes, really stretching yourself.

This exercise is good for warming up prior to exercise and as a quick break from work. The greater your ability to create movement in your scapula, the more efficient your paddling will become and the less stress will remain in tight muscles. Your body’s physical condition is directly related to the mental health and your heart.

Nerves can cause muscles to tighten, while relaxation allows those same muscles to loosen. Simply being stressed out can tire you. So free your shoulder blades and free your mind.

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