To value not only physical health
but also the approach for healing the mind.
Hirotaro Fukuhara introduces a personal training program.

The concept at the SORANO HOTEL is Well-being – a wholesome experience to invigorate the mind and body.
An important facility for providing such experience is the SORANO SPA where our dedicated team offers a variety of Well-being programs.
Kotaro Fukuhara, a professional who holds a Master’s degree in health science, is in charge of this facility. He joined the SORANO HOTEL because his lifework of building healthy minds and bodies perfectly matched the hotel’s Well-being concept.
On this Spa Program page, Hirotaro Fukuhara draws on scientific grounds and his knowledge and achievements accumulated over many years to introduce a personal training program with a focus on functional improvement for achieving a “body retreat”.

SORANO SPA Manager Hirotaro Fukuhara

SORANO SPA Manager
Hirotaro Fukuhara “To value not only physical health but also the approach for healing the mind”

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Three Types of Programs for Your Mind and Body

The spa that I manage employs professionals from various fields, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and yoga instructors.
These experts draw on their specialties to provide lessons and conditioning in the SORANO SPA program.
I think it is important to think about Well-being together with our guests.
The goal is to provide a program that encourages everyone to feel energized in their bodies and minds.
The core program at the GYM STUDIO is the “conditioning program”,
which includes basic physical strength improvement for forming the base of the body, functional improvement for restoring body parts such as the lower back and knees,
and performance improvement of sports such as running, golf, and horseback riding.
I also highly recommend aquatic workouts using the amazing swimming pool on the top floor.

First Program

First

INFINITY POOL & POOLSIDE

INFINITY POOL & POOLSIDE

With the wonderful view and refreshing feeling under the great big sky,
just being at the Infinity Pool on the top 11th floor makes you feel good.

Using this iconic facility of the Sorano Hotel, the first program I’d like to introduce is aqua running and walking.
You can exercise comfortably as if running on a cloud.
These are very simple yet effective exercises that involve slowly running and walking in water.

You can effectively and comfortably increase your muscle strength as water is much more resistant than the air but at the same time does not strain your legs and feet like when you are on land.
This exercise is especially recommended if you are busy or feel that exercising is a drag.
You can expect a host of positive effects from these exercises, which are adopted by many athletes, including world-class athletes.

About Aqua Running

About Aqua Running

Although the program is simple, a habitual full body workout in the water has far-reaching benefits.
One of my trainees who continued this lesson twice a week for three years had great success. At one point, this individual developed lumbar spondylolysis and walked with a cane and could not exercise on land. However, doing modified running exercises with thigh-lifts in the water led to weight loss and alleviated lower back pain. What’s more is that this spa member no longer had to have surgery as the doctor said that the muscles of the psoas major group were strong enough to compensate for the damaged areas.
In this way, these simple exercises that do not require complicated skills can be continued without difficulty for excellent results. Please try these exercises for which I provide detailed explanations and tips (sorry for the lengthy explanations!).

Aqua Running 9 Points

  • Point 1Expected results of doing thigh-lifts in the water

  • Point 2Exercises that impact the body

  • Point 3Increasing metabolism for easier weight loss

  • Point 4Building muscle strength and physical energy

  • Point 5Tightening up the lower body

  • Point 6Simultaneously strengthening your upper body

  • Point 7Benefits of aquatic exercise

  • Point 8Breathing method

  • Point 9Detoxing your skin

  • Expected results of doing thigh-lifts in the water At the front of the thighs are the quadriceps and at the back are the hamstrings made up of the biceps femoris, the semitendinosus, and the semimembranosus muscles. The largest muscles in the human body are in the thighs. Your thighs and hips are used a lot in thigh-lifts. Of course, your calves and soles of your feet are also stimulated. Thigh-lifts are a great way to easily stimulate your entire lower body.
  • Exercises that impact the body While exercising, it is very important to be aware of the impact that the movement has on the bones and to make necessary adjustments because “the aging switch is in the bones!” The key is osteoblasts (cells that produce bone cells). Messages transmitted from osteoblasts are sent to the organs through blood vessels and create youth throughout the body. Without doing stimulating exercises, the number of osteoblasts drops and bones stop forming. When the message substance (osteocalcin) from the bone decreases, memory capacity decreases (the function of the hippocampus of the brain is affected), and muscles become unable to use energy efficiently. Decreased bone mass leads to a decline in memory, muscle strength, and immunity.
  • Increasing metabolism for easier weight loss The use of big muscles requires a lot of oxygen and energy. Your body needs to break down and discharge waste products such as carbon dioxide and fatigue substances that remain after energy metabolism. In other words, increasing metabolism (basic metabolism) makes it easier to lose weight.
  • Building muscle strength and physical energy We can say that shaping up your thighs and hips strengthens your entire body. It is best to move the large muscles if you want to build physical strength, and since more oxygen and energy must be supplied to the muscles, the cardiopulmonary and circulatory systems are also strengthened.
  • Tightening up the lower body Aquatic thigh-lifts also stimulate the peripheral parts of the lower body such as the soles and calves. Actively moving this part also known as your second heart improves blood circulation throughout your body.
  • Simultaneously strengthening your upper body I have added upper body training to the aquatic thigh-lifts. To compensate for the loss of balance when doing aquatic thigh-lifts, I have added rowing movements of the hands and sculling (catching the water with your hands). This exercise balances your body and allows you to run in the water. By enlarging the muscles around your arms, including the biceps brachii, latissimus dorsi, upper trapezius, pectoralis major, and pectoralis minor as well as the upper back and chest, the muscles are stimulated to improve your style in this well-balanced workout for the upper and lower body and waist. In particular, the flabby subcutaneous fat, which tends to develop on the upper arm, is slimmed down effectively even with underwater stimulation.
  • Benefits of aquatic exercise The great advantages of exercising in the water is that there is much more resistance in water than in the air, and the burden on your body is limited even if you move your body in ways not possible on land. The resistance in the water is 12 times higher than in the air, so the water applies gentle force on your body. Due to buoyancy, your weight in the water is one-tenth of your weight on land. In addition, water weighs approximately 1,000 times more than air, so exercising in the water naturally induces abdominal breathing. Also, the conductivity of water is about 27 times that of air, which leads to a loss of body heat. As your body has a physiological function that tries to maintain a constant temperature, your body burns fat. Stimulating aquatic exercises are best when you have lost muscle strength but have gained weight.
  • Breathing method I recommend abdominal breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply to the rhythm of lifting and lowering your thighs while focusing on your abdomen below your belly button. It is more effective if you exhale aloud saying, “Shoo, shoo” like a locomotive. Every time you breathe with your belly, your inner muscles, including the diaphragm, pelvic floor muscles, and transverse abdominal muscles deep in your stomach are strengthened. The muscles around your stomach are tightened for a slimmed body line.
  • Detoxing your skin Entering water at a lower temperature than your body temperature stimulates the surface of your skin and the autonomic nerves, increasing detoxification of waste products and positively affecting your skin’s health. This also improves blood circulation and lymph flow.

Point 1Expected results of doing thigh-lifts in the water

At the front of the thighs are the quadriceps and at the back are the hamstrings made up of the biceps femoris, the semitendinosus, and the semimembranosus muscles. The largest muscles in the human body are in the thighs. Your thighs and hips are used a lot in thigh-lifts. Of course, your calves and soles of your feet are also stimulated.Thigh-lifts are a great way to easily stimulate your entire lower body.

Point 2Exercises that impact the body

While exercising, it is very important to be aware of the impact that the movement has on the bones and to make necessary adjustments because “the aging switch is in the bones!” The key is osteoblasts (cells that produce bone cells). Messages transmitted from osteoblasts are sent to the organs through blood vessels and create youth throughout the body. Without doing stimulating exercises, the number of osteoblasts drops and bones stop forming. When the message substance (osteocalcin) from the bone decreases, memory capacity decreases (the function of the hippocampus of the brain is affected), and muscles become unable to use energy efficiently. Decreased bone mass leads to a decline in memory, muscle strength, and immunity.

Point 3Increasing metabolism for easier weight loss

The use of big muscles requires a lot of oxygen and energy. Your body needs to break down and discharge waste products such as carbon dioxide and fatigue substances that remain after energy metabolism. In other words, increasing metabolism (basic metabolism) makes it easier to lose weight.

Point 4Building muscle strength and physical energy

We can say that shaping up your thighs and hips strengthens your entire body. It is best to move the large muscles if you want to build physical strength, and since more oxygen and energy must be supplied to the muscles, the cardiopulmonary and circulatory systems are also strengthened.

Point 5Tightening up the lower body

Aquatic thigh-lifts also stimulate the peripheral parts of the lower body such as the soles and calves. Actively moving this part also known as your second heart improves blood circulation throughout your body.

Point 6Simultaneously strengthening your upper body

I have added upper body training to the aquatic thigh-lifts. To compensate for the loss of balance when doing aquatic thigh-lifts, I have added rowing movements of the hands and sculling (catching the water with your hands). This exercise balances your body and allows you to run in the water. By enlarging the muscles around your arms, including the biceps brachii, latissimus dorsi, upper trapezius, pectoralis major, and pectoralis minor as well as the upper back and chest, the muscles are stimulated to improve your style in this well-balanced workout for the upper and lower body and waist. In particular, the flabby subcutaneous fat, which tends to develop on the upper arm, is slimmed down effectively even with underwater stimulation.

Point 7Benefits of aquatic exercise

The great advantages of exercising in the water is that there is much more resistance in water than in the air, and the burden on your body is limited even if you move your body in ways not possible on land. The resistance in the water is 12 times higher than in the air, so the water applies gentle force on your body. Due to buoyancy, your weight in the water is one-tenth of your weight on land. In addition, water weighs approximately 1,000 times more than air, so exercising in the water naturally induces abdominal breathing. Also, the conductivity of water is about 27 times that of air, which leads to a loss of body heat. As your body has a physiological function that tries to maintain a constant temperature, your body burns fat. Stimulating aquatic exercises are best when you have lost muscle strength but have gained weight.

Point 8Breathing method

I recommend abdominal breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply to the rhythm of lifting and lowering your thighs while focusing on your abdomen below your belly button. It is more effective if you exhale aloud saying, “Shoo, shoo” like a locomotive. Every time you breathe with your belly, your inner muscles, including the diaphragm, pelvic floor muscles, and transverse abdominal muscles deep in your stomach are strengthened. The muscles around your stomach are tightened for a slimmed body line.

Point 9Detoxing your skin

Entering water at a lower temperature than your body temperature stimulates the surface of your skin and the autonomic nerves, increasing detoxification of waste products and positively affecting your skin’s health. This also improves blood circulation and lymph flow.

Aquatic running using an “endless pool” is also practiced by a marathon runner who holds a new Japan record.
It is possible to measure muscle balance and develop an efficient running form.
Optimal exercises for adding spring to your body also prevent aging and increase the flight distance of golfers.
Above all, exercises as measures against muscle loss due to aging are necessary for all modern people.
I believe that safe and effective exercises that are done in a short amount of time are perfect for anti-aging.

HOW TOHOW TO

Enter the pool twice a week and aim for 500 meters each time.
You may feel that it’s hard at first, so gradually increase the distance.
The distance can be short – just try for about 30 minutes.
At first, it’s okay to change your pace by going slowly one lap and going fast on the way back.
Go easy and hard – just continue without straining yourself.
I also recommend you to stay at the Sorano Hotel and try out our lessons.
We also offer group and private lessons and suggestions for combinations with other programs.

LESSON-1

Infinity Experience 　
Sky Swim (for infants too)
- Aqua Running and Swimming Lesson

LESSON-1

This program combines aqua running and swimming lessons. The deepest part of the Infinity Pool is 120 centimeters deep, making it suitable for swimming. We also offer a lesson for beginners covering the secret to breathing to completing a 50-meter swim. Feel the excitement of the Infinity Pool whose atmosphere differs from a normal swimming pool.

Price Group Lesson: 8,000 yen per hour per group at your desired time
Private Lesson: 8,000 yen per hour

OPTION MENU

Watsu You can also request to incorporate Watsu, an underwater relaxation program for pairs.
“Watsu” is a coined word for Water-Shiatsu, a relaxation program that is currently gaining popularity for incorporating oriental Shiatsu massage into the concept of Western hydrotherapy.
Please book 7 days in advance.

Triathlon SwimThis is one of my specialties, so if you are preparing for a race, please try a lesson.

CONTACT

LESSON-2

Poolside Early Morning Yoga Exercises and
Meditation (Mindfulness) for Free

LESSON-2

It is known that conscious deep breathing releases the neurotransmitter ‘serotonin’ from the brain stem.
Serotonin is closely related to the mind and a balanced presence of mind, and it is said that the risk of depression increases with low production of serotonin.
Repeat gentle deep breathing while feeling the comfortable breeze by the pool. The program combines yoga exercises and meditation, each of which emphasizes breathing. Feel relaxation for your mind and body as you are guided by a professional coach in the exhilaratingly fresh early morning air.
Once you learn the exercises, you will be able to do them anywhere. Please try this program to help you achieve a more stress-free lifestyle.

In-house guests and spa members can participate as they’d like in these group lessons held early every Sunday morning.

Date Early morning every Sunday
Time 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. (30 minutes)
Price Free
Capacity 20 *Minimum number of participants: 2
Venue Infinity Pool
(at the Gym Studio or other location in the winter and on rainy days)
Reservation Not required; meet at the venue

*Yoga exercises and meditation (mindfulness) are also available as private lessons. Please contact Spa Reception with your request. (This program is available for in-house guests and spa members.)

CONTACT

Second Program

Second

GYM STUDIO

GYM STUDIO

Takashi Ichimizu

Takashi Ichimizu

Qualifications

  • ・Nationally licensed physical therapist
  • ・Japan Sports Association athletic trainer
  • ・Functional Movement Systems Certified FMS Lv2
  • ・Selective Functional Movement Assessment SFMA Lv2
  • ・Fundamental Capacity Screen FCS
  • ・National Academy of Sports Medicine
    Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM-PES)
  • ・TPI Golf Fitness Lv1
  • ・National Strength and Conditioning Association (U.S.A.) Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT)
  • ・Completion of the ViPR license certification course – Instructor
  • ・Completion of the TRX®Suspension Training Course (STC) – Instructor

My main focuses – functional improvement and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle – are at the core of the Sorano Hotel’s Well-being concept.
With that said, I would like to introduce “conditioning”, which is now gathering a great deal of attention for its new concept.

“Conditioning” refers to the entire process and actions, starting with understanding the current physical condition, that lead to the ideal desired condition.
In general, the purpose of personal training is to provide temporary effects such as muscle strengthening and dieting, while “conditioning” emphasizes sustaining an even healthier body. Each person’s objective (e.g, getting in shape, improving body balance, alleviating stiff shoulders and pain in the knees or lower back, improving functions, enhancing muscle strength) is inevitably achieved by restoring the inherent functions of each person’s body. We guide you based on medical findings and cater the program to each person to offer workouts that are effective for everyone from athletes to seniors, regardless of age and gender.

First, a body component analyzer called i-Body (3D body scanner) measures the inside of your body, such as muscle mass, fat mass, muscle balance, and body components (e.g., water, muscle mass, fat mass) that are not visible to the naked eye. Then, the movements of your body in terms of range of motion, stability, and interlocking of joints are measured, and from the results of these measurements, your body is conditioned with exercises proposed to improve individual body balance and strengthen weak areas.

Our trainers are a specialized team of mainly physical therapists. Personal training is available only by appointment.
At the Sorano Hotel, we were able to partner with Mr. Takashi Ichimizu (Representative of Greenfield Tachikawa which specializes in conditioning) and his team to provide personal training for our guests. Mr. Ichimizu is a trainer who is highly regarded as a leading expert in conditioning. He is also a physical therapist who has many internationally recognized personal training certifications. With many invitations across Japan to give lectures, we can say that conditioning is becoming an important aspect of modern fitness and personal training. Conditioning is central to personal training at the Sorano Hotel as well, and I hope that it will help hotel guests and spa club members to maintain their health.

HOW TOHOW TO

  • 1.

    Counseling

    CounselingConsult with the trainer in advance about your body’s problem areas.

  • 2.

    3D Body Scan

    3D Body ScanUse the latest device to evaluate body composition including body posture, muscle mass, and fat volume.

  • 3.

    Movement Evaluation

    Movement EvaluationDo simple movements such as bending forward and extending your limbs for motion analysis and range of motion measurements used to evaluate the habits of your body’s movements.

  • 4.

    Feedback

    FeedbackBy finding out your body’s current condition, you can find out what is necessary to achieve the ideal condition.

  • 5.

    Corrective Exercise

    Corrective ExerciseDo exercises necessary for alleviating stiffness in your body and improving your posture.

  • 6.

    Functional Training

    Functional TrainingDo a solid workout using your entire body to regain your body’s freedom of motion.

LESSON-1

Conditioning Personal Training

LESSON-1

Date Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays)
Reservable Times 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Lesson Time
/ Price		 10,000 yen (excluding tax)
3D body scanner measurement: 20 minutes
Personal training: 75 minutes
Location 10th Floor Gym Studio
Reservation SPA Reception or Reservation System (for direct bookings)
*If cancelling, please do so by 9:00 p.m. one day before.
The cancellation charge on the day is 100%.

3D Body Scanner MeasurementsThis 3D body scanner can also be used independently of the lessons, so I hope that our in-house guests will try it out.
If you want to become aware of your current physical condition or if you want to measure the effectiveness of your own workouts, taking continuous measurements can help you visualize the results.
The data will be accumulated in cloud storage and be accessible only to you for your review of your past and current conditions on your smartphone at any time.

Price 2,000 yen (15 to 20 minutes)
Reservation SPA Reception or Reservation System (for direct bookings)

CONTACT

LESSON-2

Conditioning Stretch (Personal) 6,000 yen for 45 minutes

LESSON-2

The muscles in the human body are organized to ensure smooth, complex motion. Muscle fibers overlap in various directions, so it is important to do stretches according to those characteristics. The effectiveness of the stretches is backed by a lot of scientific evidence, but above all, the feeling of refreshment after the stretches leads to behavioral changes. If your muscles are soft and your fatigue is gone, you feel ready to take on the challenge of doing new exercises. That is the greatest advantage of this program.
Stretching improves blood circulation, and when tension is reduced, you feel refreshed. Muscle contractions occur not only after active exercise but also when maintaining the same posture such as when working on the computer or using the smartphone. As muscles harden due to pressure inside, the skeletal system loses balance, and you lose endurance. Removing the causes of fatigue greatly influences your motivation and activity. As the amount of activity increases, muscle mass increases, internal activities also improve, more calories are burned, and the positive cycle begins to function. I recommend conditioning stretches, which trigger this cycle.

Time 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (generally 45 minutes)
Price 6,000 yen for 45 minutes
Capacity By reservation
Venue 11th Floor Medical Room 11th Floor Medical Room or 10th Floor Gym Studio
Reservation SPA Reception

CONTACT

Third Program

Third

OUTSIDE PROGRAM

OUTSIDE PROGRAM

The SORANO HOTEL is blessed with superb surroundings for experiencing the richness of the seasons, including the vast Showa Kinen Park spreading in front of the hotel.

Taking advantage of this location, I am looking forward to organizing a slow jogging program, inviting guests outside for a comfortable jog.
I believe that slow jogging is one of the most sought-after exercises for cardiopulmonary strengthening.

Boosting Your Immune System

Boosting Your Immune System

As boosting immunity has become more important nowadays, it is best to develop strong cardiopulmonary abilities and stronger bodies to increase immunity to new viruses. If infection cannot be avoided, you should make your body capable of recovery and not susceptible to severe symptoms. Exercise makes your body hungry for good nutritious food, which naturally leads you to deep sleep. The first step to take is exercise but not the strength training kind of exercise. What is ideal are full body exercises that help you strengthen your cardiopulmonary system – exercises like slow jogging and slow swims, which are slow, gentle on your body, and done over some period of time. They are low-impact aerobic exercises that do not produce active oxygen. Please join us early every Sunday morning as I teach you the ideal jogging form and tips to make slow jogging easy on your body. (This program is exclusively available to hotel in-house guests and spa members.)

LESSON-1

SORANO Early Morning Slow Jog

LESSON-1

Early every Sunday morning, warm up and do slow jogging at Showa Kinen Park

Date & Time Early every Sunday morning starting at 8:30 a.m. (Participants may leave at any time.)
Price Free
Capacity 20 participants *Minimum of 2 participants
Venue Showa Kinen Park Akebono Entrance Green Cultural Zone (The program will be canceled if it drizzles or rains.)
Reservation Not required; meet at the venue

CONTACT

MESSAGE

Above is only a glimpse of the programs that I offer, and I will continue to develop more Well-being programs with an array of contents.
I am happy to be able to help guests achieve their goals of how they want to be and will continue to take on the challenge to serve your Well-being.

SORANO SPA Manager Hirotaro Fukuhara

CONTACT US

Please contact us if you have any questions.

CONTACT

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