Overview
This is the August 2025 issue of the monthly economic information magazine published by the Saitama Resona Industrial Cooperation Foundation.
In the "Sairon" section, Masami Kubo, Executive Director of the Saitama Sports Association, contributed an article on "The Potential of Sports in Opening Up Health Management." The "Physical Fitness and Athletic Ability Survey" for understanding national physical fitness and athletic ability has been conducted annually since 1964, and is introduced as a globally unprecedented survey targeting everyone from children to the elderly. Children\'s physical fitness peaked around 1985 and has been on a declining trend since then, while physical fitness among those aged 65 and over has been on an upward trend for both men and women. The measurement items for those aged 65 and over include six categories such as grip strength and 6-minute walking, with each scored to calculate a total physical fitness score. Comparing the total scores between 1998 and 2023, males aged 65-69 improved significantly from 37.69 points to 41.94 points (111.3%), and females from 36.79 points to 41.50 points (112.8%), with physical fitness age becoming approximately 5 years younger over these 25 years.
Looking at Japan\'s population issues, according to projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan\'s total population is projected to decrease by about 17% from approximately 126 million in 2020 to approximately 104 million in 2050. Particularly, the working-age population (15-64 years) is projected to decrease by about 27% from approximately 75 million in 2020 to approximately 55 million in 2050.
Regarding health management, the strategic practice of employee health management from a business perspective is expected to bring effects such as medical cost reduction, productivity improvement, enhanced corporate image, and securing talented personnel through employee health promotion. Sports can play a major role not only in individual health promotion but also in corporate health management. To achieve the effects of sports organization-wide, it is important for companies to establish three "spaces" ("ma" in Japanese): "time," "space," and "companions" that allow employees to easily engage in sports.
The article is a comprehensive economic information magazine that presents the importance of health management using sports and specific approaches against the backdrop of improved physical fitness among the elderly and declining working-age population.
This summary was automatically generated by AI. Please refer to the original article for accuracy.
This is the August 2025 issue of the monthly economic information magazine published by the Saitama Resona Industrial Cooperation Foundation.
In the "Sairon" section, Masami Kubo, Executive Director of the Saitama Sports Association, contributed an article on "The Potential of Sports in Opening Up Health Management." The "Physical Fitness and Athletic Ability Survey" for understanding national physical fitness and athletic ability has been conducted annually since 1964, and is introduced as a globally unprecedented survey targeting everyone from children to the elderly. Children's physical fitness peaked around 1985 and has been on a declining trend since then, while physical fitness among those aged 65 and over has been on an upward trend for both men and women. The measurement items for those aged 65 and over include six categories such as grip strength and 6-minute walking, with each scored to calculate a total physical fitness score. Comparing the total scores between 1998 and 2023, males aged 65-69 improved significantly from 37.69 points to 41.94 points (111.3%), and females from 36.79 points to 41.50 points (112.8%), with physical fitness age becoming approximately 5 years younger over these 25 years.
Looking at Japan's population issues, according to projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan's total population is projected to decrease by about 17% from approximately 126 million in 2020 to approximately 104 million in 2050. Particularly, the working-age population (15-64 years) is projected to decrease by about 27% from approximately 75 million in 2020 to approximately 55 million in 2050.
Regarding health management, the strategic practice of employee health management from a business perspective is expected to bring effects such as medical cost reduction, productivity improvement, enhanced corporate image, and securing talented personnel through employee health promotion. Sports can play a major role not only in individual health promotion but also in corporate health management. To achieve the effects of sports organization-wide, it is important for companies to establish three "spaces" ("ma" in Japanese): "time," "space," and "companions" that allow employees to easily engage in sports.
The article is a comprehensive economic information magazine that presents the importance of health management using sports and specific approaches against the backdrop of improved physical fitness among the elderly and declining working-age population.