Japan's Oldest Doctor: The ONLY 4 Exercises YOU Need to Relieve Neuropathy in Feet & Legs

0:00I want you to pay close attention to

0:01your feet for a moment. When you stand

0:04up from your chair, what do you feel in

0:06your feet?

0:07Do you feel a solid, stable connection

0:10to the floor, or do you feel a strange

0:12numbness, buzzing, or tingling

0:14sensation? Maybe it's even worse, and it

0:17feels like you are walking on bubble

0:19wrap, leaving you completely unsure of

0:22where your feet actually are in space.

0:25If you are dealing with numbness,

0:26tingling, or weakness in your feet and

0:28legs, this episode is important for you.

0:31Now, most seniors who experience this

0:33are told it is simply neuropathy. They

0:35are told that whether it is from

0:37diabetes, past chemotherapy, or just

0:40restricted blood flow from aging, the

0:42nerves are damaged and there is nothing

0:44they can do except take medication and

0:47learn to live with it. But, I am here to

0:49tell you that this is not the whole

0:50story. Research proves that specific,

0:53targeted movements can actually improve

0:55the function of your nerves and

0:57significantly reduce neuropathy

0:59symptoms. The nervous system is highly

1:01adaptable, and by forcing the brain to

1:04reconnect with the lower body through

1:05specific physical challenges, you can

1:08stimulate nerve recovery, improve blood

1:10flow, and regain the stability you

1:12thought you had lost forever. Welcome

1:14back to the Senior Health Podcast, where

1:16East meets West to help you move freely,

1:19feel younger, and stay independent. In

1:22this episode, Japan's oldest doctor is

1:24going to walk you through four simple

1:26exercises you can do right at home to

1:29improve your strength, your stability,

1:32and the neurological connection to your

1:33feet and legs. We will be showing both

1:36seated and standing variations on your

1:38screen today, so you can pick exactly

1:41what fits your current ability level.

1:43Doctor, I know you see patients

1:45struggling with this every single day.

1:47Why does this episode matter so much to

1:49them? Because neuropathy steals your

1:52confidence.

1:53When your brain cannot clearly feel the

1:55ground, walking becomes terrifying.

1:59You start looking down at your feet

2:01constantly.

2:02Your posture suffers.

2:04You stop going for walks.

2:06You stop visiting friends.

2:09The world shrinks.

2:11But, what I want everyone to know today

2:14is that the connection between your

2:15brain and your feet can be retrained.

2:19These four exercises act like a wake-up

2:22call to your nervous system.

2:25They remind your body how to

2:26communicate.

2:28That is exactly what I hear from my

2:29patients. They feel like their body has

2:32betrayed them, and they are just waiting

2:34for a fall to happen. So, before we

2:36begin the exercises, I have a quick

2:39question for everyone watching. Go to

2:41the comments and just type the word

2:43tingling if your feet burn and hurt, or

2:45type numbness if you struggle to feel

2:47the floor. We want to know what you are

2:50going through.

2:51Yes, please share.

2:53Because whether you have mild tingling

2:56or significant numbness,

2:58these exercises are designed to meet you

3:00exactly where you are today.

3:03Now, doctor, before we start moving, I

3:06want to address the elephant in the

3:07room. A lot of seniors feel completely

3:10in the dark about what is actually

3:12happening to their bodies. Can you

3:14explain what neuropathy really is? Why

3:17does that vital connection to the feet

3:19just slowly disappear?

3:21This is indeed something everyone must

3:23understand.

3:24To put it simply, your nerves are like

3:27electrical wires that run all the way

3:29from your brain, down your spinal cord,

3:32and all the way to the tips of your

3:34toes.

3:35They carry massive amounts of

3:37information back and forth.

3:39They tell the brain where the foot is,

3:41how hard the ground is, and whether the

3:44surface is flat or tilted.

3:47So, what goes wrong with those wires?

3:50Over time, due to elevated blood sugar

3:53from diabetes,

3:55harsh chemical treatments like

3:57chemotherapy, or simply poor circulation

4:00as we age, the protective coating around

4:03those nerves gets damaged. The blood

4:06vessels that supply the nerves with the

4:08oxygen begin to shrink.

4:11When a nerve is starved of oxygen and

4:13its protective layer is compromised, the

4:16signal begins to short circuit.

4:18That short circuit is the burning, the

4:21tingling, and the buzzing you feel.

4:24That makes a lot of sense. What about

4:26the numbness?

4:27The numbness happens when the signal

4:30drops out completely. The wire is

4:32frayed. The brain is asking the foot,

4:36"Where are you?"

4:37And the foot is replying, but the

4:39message never makes it back up the leg.

4:42This is why you feel like you are

4:44walking on thick cotton. The brain is

4:47literally guessing where the floor is.

4:50So, basically what you're saying is that

4:51neuropathy is a communication breakdown.

4:54But, how does exercise fix a damaged

4:56nerve?

4:58Through a beautiful process called

5:00neuroplasticity.

5:02The brain and the nervous system are

5:04highly adaptable.

5:06When you perform the specific movements

5:08we are going to show you today, you

5:11force the brain to pay attention to the

5:13legs and feet. You increase the blood

5:16flow, which brings fresh oxygen to those

5:18starving nerves.

5:20And you force the body to recruit new,

5:23healthy neural pathways to bypass the

5:25damaged ones.

5:27That makes perfect sense. We are

5:29basically forcing the brain to rebuild

5:31the road to the feet.

5:33Exactly.

5:35But, because we are dealing with a

5:36balance and sensory issue, we must be

5:39careful.

5:40If you are doing this standing, please

5:42make sure you have appropriate support.

5:45A sturdy chair, a counter top, or

5:48standing in the corner of a room so you

5:50have walls behind and beside you.

5:53Safety always comes first.

5:56Okay, now let's dive in. And to everyone

5:59listening, remember to watch the screen

6:01to see exactly how these movements are

6:03done. You will see both seated and

6:05standing options. Doctor, what is the

6:08very first exercise?

6:10We start with an aerobic base movement.

6:13It is an alternating march.

6:15You can do this seated in a sturdy chair

6:18or standing up if you feel stable

6:20enough.

6:21Please look at the visual demonstration

6:24on your screen to see the proper form.

6:27Okay, what is the action here?

6:29If you are seated, sit up tall.

6:32Now, simply march in place. Lift your

6:35right knee up toward the ceiling, then

6:38lower it.

6:39Then lift your left knee.

6:41As you do this, I want you to pump your

6:43arms naturally. Just as you would if you

6:46were walking briskly down the street.

6:50Right knee up, left arm forward.

6:53Left knee up, right arm forward.

6:56Why start with an aerobic exercise for a

6:58nerve problem?

7:00Because nerves desperately need oxygen

7:02to recover.

7:03And oxygen is delivered through the

7:05bloodstream.

7:06Even light aerobic activity like this

7:09instantly increases your heart rate and

7:12dilates the blood vessels in your legs.

7:15It flushes metabolic waste away from the

7:17damaged nerves and delivers the

7:20nutrients they need to heal.

7:23Plus,

7:24the alternating motion forces the left

7:27and right sides of your brain to

7:29coordinate,

7:30which stimulates the central nervous

7:32system.

7:34How long should people do this march?

7:36You can start by setting a timer for

7:38just 30 to 60 seconds. See how many

7:42controlled, deliberate marches you can

7:45complete in that time.

7:47From there, as your stamina improves

7:50over the coming weeks, you can work up

7:53to one or two solid minutes.

7:56I love that. Someone could easily do

7:58this during a commercial break while

8:00watching TV.

8:01Precisely.

8:03Take advantage of those small moments.

8:05If you're waiting for the microwave to

8:07beep or the kettle to boil, do a quick

8:10set of marches. It incorporates

8:14healing cardio into your day without

8:16feeling like a massive workout.

8:19That feels amazing. It really gets the

8:21blood moving. Okay, let's keep up that

8:23pace. What is exercise number two?

8:26The second exercise involves awakening

8:29the specific muscles that control the

8:31foot and ankle.

8:33We call this the heel-toe raise.

8:35Again, you can do this seated or

8:37standing, whatever feels safest for you

8:40right now.

8:41Please walk us through the mechanics.

8:44Start with both feet planted firmly flat

8:47on the floor.

8:49First, raise both of your heels up

8:51toward the ceiling, keeping the balls of

8:53your feet and your toes pressed into the

8:56ground.

8:57You will feel your calf muscles

8:58contract.

9:00Then, lower your heels back to the

9:02floor.

9:03Immediately rock your weight backward

9:06and lift your toes and the front of your

9:08feet up off the floor, keeping your

9:10heels planted.

9:12So, we are rocking back and forth. Heels

9:15up, then toes up.

9:16Exactly.

9:18It is a smooth, continuous rocking

9:20motion.

9:21Heels up, flat. Toes up, flat.

9:25When you lift your heels, you're working

9:27the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in

9:30the calf.

9:31When you lift your toes, you're working

9:33the anterior tibialis muscle on the

9:36front of your shin.

9:38And why are these specific muscles so

9:40important for neuropathy?

9:42Because these are your primary

9:43stabilizing muscles when you walk.

9:46When neuropathy sets in, people tend to

9:49shuffle their feet because they are

9:52afraid of tripping.

9:54They stop picking their toes up.

9:56This exercise actively restores the

9:58range of motion in the foot and ankle.

10:02It trains the brain to pick those toes

10:04up again,

10:06which is incredibly important for

10:07preventing falls.

10:09I can feel a deep burn in my shins when

10:12I pull my toes up.

10:14That means the muscle is waking up.

10:17Most people have very weak shin muscles

10:20from years of walking on flat,

10:22predictable surfaces in stiff shoes.

10:26We want to aim for 10 to 20 repetitions

10:28of this rocking motion.

10:30Take your time. Do not rush it. Feel the

10:33muscles contract with every single lift.

10:37So, we have the march for blood flow and

10:39the heel-toe raise for ankle mobility

10:42and strength. What is the third

10:44exercise?

10:45Now, we move into a movement that

10:47specifically trains the core and the

10:50brain's ability to coordinate the body.

10:53This is the seated diagonal chop.

10:55I want everyone to do this one in the

10:58seated position first, even if you are

11:00normally quite active. It requires a lot

11:03of focus.

11:05Okay. I am seated at the edge of my

11:07chair.

11:08Good.

11:09Make sure both feet are planted firmly

11:12on the floor.

11:14Now, I want you to actively think about

11:16pushing your feet down into the ground.

11:19Create a physical connection with the

11:21floor. This alone sends a signal from

11:23your feet up to your brain.

11:26Feet are pressing down. What is next?

11:30Now, clasp your hands together in front

11:32of you. Bring your clasped hands down

11:35toward your left hip. From there, you

11:38are going to sweep your arms upward on a

11:40diagonal path crossing your body until

11:44your hands are up high on your right

11:45side. Then, smoothly bring them back

11:49down to the left hip.

11:50So, I am chopping from low left to high

11:53right.

11:54Exactly. Diagonal and come back down.

11:58If your shoulder mobility makes clasping

12:00your hands uncomfortable, you can simply

12:03keep your arms separate and move them

12:05together in parallel. You will see this

12:08demonstrated on the screen. Do this 10

12:11to 20 times on one side and then

12:14[snorts] switch. Chop from low right to

12:17high left for another 10 to 20

12:19repetitions.

12:21So, basically, what you're saying is

12:22that a core exercise helps the feet.

12:25Yes, and it is vital.

12:27Balance is not just about the feet.

12:30Balance requires a strong core to keep

12:33your center of gravity stable.

12:35While you are doing these diagonal

12:38chops, you are forcing your core to

12:40stabilize your shifting weight and you

12:43are maintaining that firm pressure

12:46through your feet into the floor.

12:49It is a full body coordination drill

12:51that forces the nervous system to

12:53communicate across multiple pathways

12:56simultaneously.

12:58That is a brilliant way to trick the

12:59brain into reconnecting with the lower

13:01body.

13:03It truly is. Core strength and leg

13:05activation go hand-in-hand. Once you

13:08feel confident with the seated chops,

13:12you are ready to challenge your standing

13:14tolerance.

13:16Which brings us to the fourth and final

13:18exercise.

13:19Okay, I am ready for the final one. And

13:22to everyone listening, feel free to

13:24pause the video or playback anything

13:26that is unclear to you. Please listen to

13:28your body and use your own pace. We do

13:31not have to do everything in one session

13:33if you feel like you can't.

13:35Thank you for heads up, John. Safety is

13:37our priority.

13:39Okay, for this fourth exercise, we are

13:41going to work on a modified single leg

13:44stance.

13:45Please stand up and find appropriate

13:47support.

13:48The best place to do this is standing in

13:50the corner of a room facing outward with

13:54a chair in front of you.

13:55This gives you walls behind and beside

13:58you and a chair to hold on to.

14:00Okay, we have our support ready. What is

14:03the movement?

14:05We are going to focus on standing on one

14:08leg, but we are not going to lift the

14:10other leg completely in the air.

14:13That can be too risky for someone with

14:15neuropathy. Instead, put all your weight

14:19onto your right leg.

14:21Then, step your left foot slightly

14:24behind you and just let your left toes

14:27touch the floor lightly for balance.

14:30As you can see on the screen right now,

14:32the back foot is acting like a

14:34kickstand.

14:35I see it. And what should the standing

14:37leg be doing?

14:39This is the most important cue.

14:41Focus on keeping the standing leg

14:43relaxed. Do not lock your knee out

14:46straight.

14:47Keep a slight, soft bend in the knee.

14:50When you lock the knee, you are just

14:52resting on the joint and the bones.

14:55When you keep the knee soft, you force

14:57the muscles of the thigh, calf, and

15:00ankle to actively work to keep you

15:02upright.

15:03Oh, I can definitely feel the

15:05difference. My ankle is making dozens of

15:07tiny adjustments just to keep me stable.

15:10That wobble is a good thing. That is

15:13your nervous system firing rapidly

15:15figuring out how to balance you.

15:18Now, see if you can let go of the chair

15:21or [snorts] just keep one fingertip on

15:23it for security. You should feel your

15:26entire leg and your core working to keep

15:29your body upright.

15:31How long do we hold this stance?

15:34Again, set a timer for 30 to 60 seconds.

15:37Try to maintain your balance on that one

15:40side for the entire time. You then

15:43switch and put your weight on the left

15:45leg

15:46with the right toes touching behind you.

15:49And if someone finds this too difficult

15:51or too easy, how do they adjust?

15:54If you need to make it easier, plant the

15:56back foot completely flat on the floor.

15:59So, one foot is just slightly in front

16:01of the other.

16:03This widens your base of support and

16:05splits your weight between both feet.

16:08If you want to take the challenge up a

16:10notch, try lifting those back toes

16:12completely off the ground so you are

16:15doing a true single leg balance.

16:18Doctor, this has been incredibly

16:20thorough. Four exercises, seated and

16:23standing options, addressing cardio,

16:25mobility, coordination, and pure

16:27balance.

16:29Yes.

16:30And I want everyone to understand that

16:32these movements may feel simple, but the

16:35research is absolutely clear.

16:38Doing them consistently helps regain

16:40balance, strength, and coordination

16:43while [snorts] actively reducing the

16:45symptoms related to neuropathy.

16:48How often should people be doing this

16:49routine?

16:51Starting with two or three times per

16:53week is a great place to start.

16:56Your nerves need time to recover after

16:58being challenged.

16:59The biggest mistake I see people make is

17:02trying to do too much too soon or never

17:05progressing their exercises and getting

17:07stuck in the same spot.

17:09Start where you are, use support, and be

17:12patient.

17:14Thank you, doctor. Everyone start with

17:16the seated march today. Get that blood

17:18flowing and let us know in the comments

17:21which of these four exercises felt the

17:22most effective for you. And don't forget

17:25to like this video, leave a comment and

17:27subscribe. And make sure to watch this

17:29next episode.

17:31>> Oh, this is a good one. People should

17:32see this. Definitely watch. See you

17:34there.