Low Kick, High Return!

Hello, everyone. I'm Masahiro Okumura, Office Project & Break Time Designer.

Today, I'll tell you about this low kick that looks downright rough!?
It's not about the knockdown from the low kick—it's about getting a unique sense of exhilaration in the office!

■Lessons from a Current 6-Time Muay Thai World Champion

The trainers who actually came to visit us were none other than Ayaka Miyauchi, the current six-time Muay Thai world champion, and her sister, Reika Miyauchi, an exercise trainer. They developed "Kik Exercise," a new fitness method featured on numerous TV programs.
We experienced "Office Kikusaise" while seeing authentic Muay Thai kicks up close.

■Introducing Office Kik-Exercise!

What exactly is "Kik-Exercise"?
According to the Miyauchi sisters, "It starts with fundamental lower-body exercises, then builds core, abdominal, back, and hip strength through kicking movements. Various kicks are born from strengthened and stabilized lower bodies. This training process aims not only for lower-body shaping but also positive effects on the interconnected upper body.
For women, it targets beauty effects like shapely legs, a firm butt, and good posture originating from the lower body, along with physical improvements such as explosive power, endurance, and movement ability. It also aims to relieve stress through the act of kicking. Kikusaise is a new exercise that integrates fragmented lower-body exercises centered around kicking movements!"

Office Pokikusa Exercise is a custom version of this, designed for easy use in the office, not a fitness studio.
First, warm up your legs, not your shoulders.
Gradually build a pleasant fatigue in your legs and hips using movements you don't often use. As you start to sweat a little and your body gradually loosens up, your mind also begins to relax.

Then, it's time for mitt work!
This is the essence. Everyone's eyes lit up. "I can do this!" In Kiku Exercise, you really do hit the mitts.

Men and women alike deliver low kicks.
A chance to blow off some steam?

By the way, here's the professional mitt work by the Miyauchi sisters
※Volume warning!

 

■The Gap Between Exercise and Reality

Hello! I'm Tomoyo Fukaya, Office Project & Break Time Designer.
For this Kikusaisei session, most participants were new to this type of exercise. At first, they moved by watching and imitating others. But when they actually kicked the mitts, they seemed to experience a unique sense of exhilaration different from other sports.

Above all, the preconception that "kicking = using force" prevailed. However, as Athlete Miyauchi explained, "You don't use any force at all; you just swing your legs around like a pendulum." The difference between the imagined and actual use of force and center of gravity in the movement was very striking.

 Participants also shared:

■ "I thought it would just be lower body work from start to finish, but it actually became a full-body workout because you have to focus on your core. Continuing it felt like it would build well-balanced muscles and improve my physical condition. I think I was able to work more energetically than usual afterward." (Male, 30s)

■ "Kicking the mitts and hearing the sound was more exhilarating and satisfying than just regular exercise." (Male, 20s)

■ "The emphasis on relaxing and avoiding fatigue was truly excellent. Plus, I was surprised to see someone so beautiful could be that strong!!" (Male, 20s)

■ "Using parts of my mind and body I don't normally engage was incredibly refreshing. Not just that day, but the next day too, I felt sharper and more efficient." (Female, 20s)

Opinions like these poured in—people just wanted to do it again, saying it was fun!
People seemed thoroughly satisfied with this new kind of break time.

While most people spend much of their day in the office and report feeling stress daily, many are already trying various things to relieve office stress.
Common refreshment methods include "coffee or tea" and "snacks," but it seems many haven't yet progressed to incorporating physical activity.

As Dentsu Inc. employees are known for being active, Office-Po aims to keep sharing content that's easy to do right in the office—not just yoga or Kikusaise!

We received these words from the Miyauchi sisters, who actually led the session.

■Comment from Ayaka Miyauchi

I believe participants thoroughly enjoyed the Kikusaisei even within the short 30-minute session.
The non-routine action of kicking creates smooth movement not by tensing up, but by relaxing. This relaxed lower-body movement positively impacts your core, and most noticeably, it transforms stress relief into energy.

Hearing "kick" might make you tense up mentally or even worry about your attire, but that's not the case at all. Kikusaise was developed precisely to be started at a light exercise level, making it perfect for use as a breather or mood-changer in the office.

It's a new exercise centered around kicking, accessible to both men and women. We're grateful that forward-thinking individuals like those at Dentsu Inc. have shown interest. Kikusaise isn't about novelty; it's a fresh take on the fundamental exercise principle of training from the lower body up. We'd be delighted if many people could share this approach.

■Comment from Reika Miyauchi

I'm thrilled that employees of Dentsu Inc., who are at the forefront of various fields, have learned about Kikusasize—Japan's first-of-its-kind exercise!

Some might initially think, "Kicks? Can it really be that simple?" But once they experience it firsthand, everyone ends up smiling and getting hooked. Even light kicks during work can strengthen your core, and above all, it's great for stress relief and sparking new ideas, right!? I hope many people will try it!

It's less than a 15-minute walk from Dentsu Inc. to Jaid Fitness Lab. in Toranomon, so I hope many employees will visit the gym too! Our semi-personal group lessons (5-6 people) are women-only, but men can opt for personal training sessions. Kick Exercise is great for stress relief for both men and women!

 

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