For Koreans, this IS their everyday life.
In South Korea, public exercise equipment can be found everywhere. Stationary bikes, weights, bars and several machines sit in open spaces like the national parks or apartment complexes. They also sit in small spaces like local parks, off of sidewalks in the cities, by rivers and creeks, the side of the highway… the list goes on. In South Korea, finding bigger exercise equipment is not a difficult task. It sits outside, rain or shine, and can be used by anybody. While gyms, trainers and coaches are still the primary sources of working out, this public exercise equipment gives anyone a chance do a little movement. Honestly, no one expects this equipment to be in wonderful condition, but the convenience of the exercise equipment is a wonderful idea.
Exercise has always been important to the welfare of the people in Korea, perhaps in a different way that is it in America. South Korean citizens were very unhealthy and ill at one point in history. The people were so sick to the point that the South Korean president established a national exercise routine for the whole country. Some schools still use this exercise routine with their students in the morning to help them start their school day on a good note. Several other actions were taken to also help the general health and fitness of the country too, but this simple exercise still contributes to the wellness of the country.
While many of our readers are based in countries where public exercise equipment isn't available, or they do not have a national fitness routine, the next best thing to do would be to create more opportunities for ourselves. South Korea has excellent public transportation throughout the entire country which makes personal driving less important. The United States is just different from that, but it doesn't mean that we shouldn't give ourselves the next best thing. Ideas like parking further away from the entrance of the grocery store or taking the stairs instead of an elevator are a few examples of what we can do to add these small moments of movement back in our lives. We already know we will have equipment available to us at the gym, but there’s something nice about knowing that we covered the cracks in between working out and work.
To read more about Korean exercise equipment in public spaces, check out this blog: http://kimchibytes.com/2013/07/11/outdoor-exercise-equipment-the-unofficial-national-treasure-of-korea/
This entry was contributed by Shannon Bolen, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Bowling Green State University and adores screwball comedies and David Shrigley.
