March 11, 2011.
I was on the 13th floor of a skyscraper in Shinjuku.

The elevators stopped, and
I went up and down the emergency stairs many times.

Since that day, I have believed that, just like preparing supplies,
physical strength is also a form of preparation.

In this article, I will share what happened that day and
a “one-legged stand with eyes closed” check
that you can do at home starting today.

That day, I walked for 4 hours to get home

I was busy responding to the situation that day and could not go home.
Even when I went to a convenience store to buy supplies,
there was nothing on the shelves.
There were people around me who had collapsed from exhaustion.

The next morning, I headed home, but
trains and buses were in disarray.
I ended up walking for part of the way.

On the road, a line of people walking home just like me
continued for a long way.
There were also people who couldn’t walk and were sitting on the side of the road.

My feet also started to hurt gradually.
My shoes and luggage became more painful the more I walked.
After walking for about 4 hours, I finally reached home.

There is something I thought about that day.
“Disaster prevention knowledge alone is not enough.”

Stockpiling water and food, emergency evacuation bags.
I think many people are preparing supplies.
However, “Can you carry that bag and go down the stairs?”
or “Can you keep walking?” tends to be put on the back burner.

In a disaster, your body will be required to move like this

In the Disaster Mitigation Physical Fitness Measurement® that I am in charge of,
I have replaced movements during a disaster with 5 measurements.
The photos show demonstrations by our staff.
Please do not imitate them, but watch while
thinking, “What would it be like for me?”

1. Chair stand-up
When the elevator stops,
can you go up and down the stairs?
Can you evacuate to a safe place?

2. One-legged stand
In the darkness of a power outage or in places with poor footing,
can you stand without wobbling?

3. Supply transport
Can you walk while carrying water or an evacuation bag?

4. Four-direction step
Can you quickly move away from places where things might fall,
or change direction?

5. Squat tap
In the smoke of a fire, can you continue to evacuate while staying in a low posture?

I provide the results as a
guide to help you think about the ease of evacuation.
It is not a test to predict whether or not you can escape during a disaster.

When you stand on one leg with your eyes closed at a measurement session

When you stand on one leg with your eyes closed at a measurement session,
many people put their foot down immediately.

Young people were also surprised.
There were moments where parents and children had fun together.

After the measurement, we also provide exercises you can do in about 30 seconds every day,
tailored to the areas where you were weak.
I wrote about the process of connecting physical fitness measurement to disaster preparedness in
another article.

This time, I will introduce “one-leg standing” that you can do at home from among those.

What you can do today: Try standing on one leg with your eyes closed

During a power outage, your surroundings become dark.
When there is little information from your eyes,
even just standing becomes difficult.
This is a check to experience that safely at home.

Before you begin

• Perform this next to a place where you can grab onto something immediately, such as a wall, sink, or desk.

• Do this on a non-slip floor with no objects around you.

• If you feel pain or dizziness, stop immediately.

Step 1: Stand on one leg with your eyes open

Next to a place where you can grab onto something immediately,
stand with one foot lifted slightly off the floor.
Aim for 30 seconds on each side.
If you wobble, put your foot down immediately
and grab onto something.
If you are uneasy, keep your fingertips on the desk or sink
and start with 10 seconds on each side.

Step 2: Challenge. Stand on one leg with your eyes closed

Only try this if you felt comfortable with your eyes open.
Do this only by a wall,
and if possible, have a family member stand right next to you.
Stand on one leg with your eyes closed.
Aim for 15 seconds on each side.

How was it compared to when your eyes were open?
Just by closing your eyes,
I think some of you felt your body swaying.
When I tried it, there was a difference between my left and right sides.

In the darkness of a power outage, even things you usually do become difficult.
Knowing that with your body is also a form of preparation.

Please talk to your family about this tonight

I also thought about my family.
Will my parents be able to escape?
Will I be able to help my family?

So, I talked to my parents.
Since then, my parents have become conscious of their physical strength,
and have started doing things like taking walks.

Trying to stand on one leg as a family
can be a conversation starter.
Why not try talking about it just a little bit tonight?
Who will carry the emergency bag?
If there is a family member who has difficulty going down stairs,
who will support them and how?
Talking about physical strength is also a part of disaster preparedness.

Next time preview

In this series,
I will introduce checks for “physical strength preparation” that you can do at home,
one by one.
Next time, I will cover a different movement.

The concept of disaster reduction physical fitness measurement
is summarized on the official page.

https://gensai-tairyoku-sokutei.netlify.app/

If you would like to hold a physical fitness measurement event in your community or workplace,
please contact us via “Free Consultation” on the official page,
or via DM on X (@Tkusano05).

Finally, just one thing.
Who will carry your home’s emergency bag when escaping?
Will that person be able to move while carrying that bag?

Author: Toyokatsu Kusano.
General Manager at Wingate Co., Ltd.
Handles trainer dispatch, personal trainer training,
and new business development with local governments and companies.