The longest-living people on Earth swear by a simple five-minute exercise routine to start their day

IT looks like the secret to a long life might not involve breaking the bank after all.

Instead, one of the keys to a long and healthy life might be as simple as a five-minute Japanese workout.

AFP

People taking part in a morning radio taiso exercise at a park in Tokyo[/caption]

This easy low-intensity routine, known as radio taiso, is still practised by millions of people of all ages in Japan.

The authors of “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life,” spoke to over 100 of the oldest people in Okinawa, Japan, a blue zone with the highest concentration of centenarians in the world.

They said nearly everyone the authors Héctor García and Francesc Miralle interviewed said they practice radio taiso regularly.

Radio taiso got its name because the movements were broadcasted on the radio in 1929.

Today, radio taiso still airs daily at 6:30am on one of Japan’s oldest radio stations, named NHK Radio 1.

According to a site dedicated to the exercise the movements wake up your mind and your muscles with movement and can be completed by just about anybody.

Rajio taiso, which translates to “radio exercises” got its name because the movements were broadcasted on the radio in 1929.

“One of the most iconic radio taiso exercises consists of simply raising your arms above your head and then bringing them down in a circular motion,” the authors wrote.

“It might seem basic, but in our modern lives, we can spend days without raising our arms above our ears.”

 If you fancy trying Radio Taiso for yourself, check out this video online.

Meanwhile, many experts now tout the benefit of vitamin D as a way to slow down ageing.

Vitamin D works by helping the gut absorb calcium from food and drink, which keeps our bones healthy and strong.