保養
ほよう · hoyou · JLPT N1 · noun
preservation
🛁 保 = protect/keep + 養 = nourish/care for: keeping the body nourished and protected, i.e. health preservation
Both characters are about looking after something over time. 保 holds and protects; 養 feeds and raises. Together they mean keeping yourself well through rest, care and recuperation.
保 — person 亻 + 呆 (child/protect phonetic)
Originally an ideograph showing an adult carrying a child on the back, meaning to protect or shield. The right side 呆 evolved from a depiction of a swaddled infant. Over time the meaning broadened from 'protect a child' to 'preserve, guarantee, keep safe.'