Salonpas Close-up with Mak Takano

April 24, 2016

Mak Takano is a private trainer with a B.A. in Physical Education, Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology and an M.A. in Psychology from the University of Redlands in California with over three decades of physical fitness training and Martial Arts experience.  Training professional athletes, Hollywood actors and people seeking better holistic lifestyle thru fitness.

Mak is also a Hollywood actor who has co-starred in the hit movies such as “Black Rain,” “Twin Peaks,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II” and appeared in the sci-fi thriller “Contact.”  He is the go-to Asian face of Hollywood!

What pain relief option does Mak Takano turn to when aches and pains hit? “I have been using Salonpas as a child in Japan from the mid-60’s,” said Takano. “My parents used it and while I went to boarding school in England, I took it with me for my sports injuries and/or recovery.  It was an innovative product at that time as there was nothing like it in England.”

“In my later years at University of Redlands, I was the strength and conditioning coach for the athletes.  I would recommend and use Salonpas to help them,” says Takano.  “In the early 80’s, Salonpas was still unavailable in the United States, so I bought it over from Japan.  So, I have been using Salonpas for nearly 50 years for personal usage as an athlete and later as a professional trainer for my professional athletes, Hollywood actors and executive clients.   It is the best product of its kind, by far.”

Salonpas sat down with Mak Takano to find out about his own fitness and healthy living regime

What is your work-out like? How many days a week do you work out?

I personally train 6 days a week.  It is a combination of heavy resistance training, circuit training and my Martial Arts training.  Three days of the week I will be doing my gym training by day and Martial Arts training by night, which are tough training days.

Do you ever see any friends or clients who take an excessive amount of OTC pain pills such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen and who are unaware of the dangers of this?

Yes, so I try to educate them to stop taking these systemic pain relievers(pills) and to use topical pain relievers, Salonpas, which can be used directly on the area of the muscle or joint pain.  As a professional trainer and an athlete I have used many different topical analgesics and by far Salonpas is the very best product.

Do you follow a specific nutritional regime? If so, what?

Proper nutrition with fresh unprocessed foods is a must for everyone.  My nutrition consists of good protein source such as fresh fish and organically grown fresh vegetables.  Therefore, I never have to count calories or worry about weight fluctuation.  Also, drinking plenty of fresh clean water is a must.

How important is sleep to you?

A good quality sleep is very important for everyone.  It helps the body recover from your daily activity and for your mental wellness.  So, I personally try to sleep at least seven hours, and current research suggests that as well.

Are you in any upcoming television shows or movies?

Due to my training business commitments with pro-athletes, I have been unable to make time as an actor.  Although, this year I have decided to make that time again.  Sometimes, it is a difficult task to have a couple of different professions and at times I have to decide what is best depending on certain factors, and to make that decision between my two professions.  So, I am hoping to report back to you with an upcoming acting project

Would you recommend Salonpas?

I will definitely continue to use Salonpas for my personal usage and recommend it to all my clients and friends, because it has proven to me that it works and to be the best amongst other similar products.   I highly recommend Salonpas and I am so glad that it is available in the United States now.