Sumo fitness DVD on sale in Japan

Exercise videos typically feature svelte, muscular models. But Japan's latest fitness program sports a figure known more for girth than grace: the sumo wrestler.

"Sumo Health Exercises," released by the Japan Sumo Association this month, contains 12 sets of stretches, squats and splits demonstrated by professional wrestlers.

These models are a world away from rail-thin yoga instructors -- they include hefty wrestlers such as the 140 kilogram Wakakasuga and 116 kilogram Hokutosho.

Still, the association says the wrestlers -- who compete by trying to push each other out of a circular ring -- follow a rigorous exercise regime that would help regular folks.

"The exercises can help strengthen the lower back and legs," said Hideki Yazaki, an association official. "They're fun, so we hope parents can get kids to do them instead of playing computer games all day."

The sumo moves include squats that the wrestlers perform before and after bouts, and a ceremonial move in which a wrestler lifts his leg sideways until it is pointing at the sky.

In fact, the difficulty of the exercises demonstrates the wrestlers' legendary agility, despite their impressive body mass. Sumo stars can weigh as much as 225 kilograms.

"For their size, many wrestlers have a low fat ratio," said Yazaki. They're professional athletes, after all."

The DVD, which sells for 2,625 yen (US$22.90), might even help people achieve the sumo look: It includes tips on making chanko nabe, the meaty, calcium-rich stew that forms the staple of the sumo diet.