Japanese office workers swing on bars and exercise during work hours to fight laziness.

Faced with an aging population, Japanese companies encourage employees to exercise in the hope that they will work past retirement age.

At exactly 1:00 p.m., a group of IT staff from the CompanyAdoc International in Tokyo, Japan, gets up from his desk to stretch and twist to the sound of the radio: "One, two, three."

At the same time, at the CompanyFujikura, men in shirts and trousers dangle from colorful bars. They are all participating in the mid-break exercise program, a policy recently promoted by many Japanese companies.

Fujikura employees do pull-ups at the office. Photo: AFP.

"Japan's population is aging rapidly and there are very few children. This is a big risk for businesses," Japan Times quoted"Keeping employees healthy is an important strategy. Good health means a strong team and a strong company," said Kenichiro Asano of Fujikura's healthcare group.

To implement this strategy, each company comes up with its own way.Adoc International lChoose rajio taiso, a three-minute exercise that originated in the 1920s, because it's incredibly simple and familiar to most Japanese people.

In addition, rajio taiso is broadcast regularly on NHK, including variations specifically for the elderly and disabled. It is estimated that there are currently28 million people practice rajio taiso every day.

Adoc International staff exercise after lunch break. Photo: AFP.

Different fromAdoc International, Toyota created their own exercise, and Sony employees participate in group stretching every 3pm.

Meanwhile, online retailer Rakuten has invested in 12,000 mobile desks. Employees can choose to stand or sit at will. "I get tired easily if I sit for a long time, so it's nice to be able to stand up,"Liu Xiaolu, 35, who works at Rakuten, expressed.

Employees use mobile desks that allow them to stand or sit at will at Rakuten. Photo: AFP.

Supporting the way these businesses work, professor of health behaviorKoichiro Oka from Waseda University believes that companies need to pay attention to improving the health of their employees. "The idea that you don't need to exercise during the week because you can work out on Saturday and Sunday is completely wrong," said Professor Oka."Not exercising during the week can lead to heart disease, diabetes and many other health problems"./.

According to VNE