2024-05-25 20:01:16
“My father and mom handed away once they have been of their 50s, so I believed I is perhaps genetically short-lived. Once I was being attentive to my well being, a mountaineering membership was shaped on the Ministry of Finance (now the Ministry of Technique and Finance). So I signed up instantly. On the time, a soccer membership that participated within the civil service soccer event was widespread, however I wasn’t good at soccer, so I could not do it. “I come from a rural space, so I’ve fond reminiscences of operating within the mountains, so mountaineering felt acquainted to me.”
Seol Kyun-tae (87), chairman of the advisory board of Sungkyunkwan, is a mountaineering fanatic. He has been climbing mountains for 50 years. He moved to Sudong-myeon, Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do three years in the past. He needs to climb close by Chukryeong Mountain. He, who began mountaineering in 1974 whereas he was a public servant on the Ministry of Finance, stated, “After climbing the mountain, I used to be bodily and mentally wholesome, and due to that, I’m nonetheless dwelling effectively.” He stated, “Once I was at my present job, I used to be climbing the mountain twice per week, each Saturday and Sunday, and after leaving my present job, I used to be climbing the mountain a minimum of 5 instances per week on common.”
Though I primarily hiked across the metropolitan space, together with Bukhansan Mountain, Dobongsan Mountain, Gwanaksan Mountain, and Daemosan Mountain, I additionally steadily went on expedition hikes equivalent to Seoraksan Mountain and Hallasan Mountain. He stated, “Once I was at my present job, I hiked a mean of 8km over two days on weekends, and lately, I stroll 6km per hike. He has walked a complete of 52,000 km within the mountains to this point. “He circled the Earth as soon as (40,000 km) and walked one other 12,000 km.” He based the ‘Malmok Mountaineering Membership’, the place former members of the Ministry of Finance climb the mountain on the final Thursday of each month, and has been main it as its president for 27 years.
“Maybe as a result of I climbed the mountain and breathed the great air, my physique actually modified. Regardless that I went to the hospital and acquired therapy, the allergic rhinitis that had been inflicting me hassle sleeping each night time disappeared after climbing the mountain. “Grownup ailments equivalent to hypertension have disappeared, in addition to rhinorrhea, which makes you are feeling like one thing like a mosquito is flying in entrance of your eyes when there are lots of people.”
Chairman Seol’s secret to good well being is consistency. He by no means missed a mountaineering group, such because the Malmok Mountaineering Membership. I climbed the mountain even when it rained or snowed. Her spouse, Son In-jae (56), stated, “Folks round her say she is a monster.” Chairman Seol does ‘primary bodily power coaching’ each morning. He warms up by stretching and does 1,000 ‘toe strikes’, which entails transferring each legs and hanging the massive toes. He additionally does 60 sit-ups. This meticulous administration was behind the truth that I had no main accidents whereas mountaineering for 50 years.
Among the many members who began mountaineering collectively 50 years in the past, Chairman Seol is the one one who remains to be climbing the mountain. He stated, “My favourite saying is ‘Sluggish and regular wins the race.’ “It’s important to take a long-term view of your well being and do it persistently,” he stated. He stated, “You could shield your well being while you’re wholesome. Even if you’re assured that you’re wholesome, it’s straightforward so that you can break down. Staying wholesome shouldn’t be free. “We have to make investments,” he emphasised.
“As I become old, I understand that I want to begin taking good care of my well being earlier than it’s too late. In that respect, I’m lucky that I’ve been getting ready since my 30s. From my expertise, I really feel that climbing up and down the mountain is absolutely good. “I generally stroll on flat floor, however even with the identical cardio train, I really feel that the pleasure I really feel after exercising is certainly totally different between strolling on flat floor for 2 hours and strolling for 2 hours on a mountain.”
As Chairman Seol stated, climbing could be very useful to your well being. Mountaineering is such a high-intensity train that it’s known as interval coaching within the mountains. Interval coaching is a coaching methodology that gives incomplete relaxation between workout routines of a sure depth. For instance, coaching to run 100 meters at 70% to 90% of your greatest time, then return to jogging and run 100 meters once more on the identical depth is efficient in strengthening endurance.
In actual fact, in a strict sense, mountaineering can’t be placed on the identical stage as interval coaching. Nonetheless, when climbing a mountain, steep slopes, light slopes, flat areas, and downhills are repeated. Because you do that for greater than an hour earlier than taking a break, it may be seen as a sort of interval coaching. Our physique turns into more healthy after we train with repeated sturdy and weak stimulation. Above all, climbing is usually carried out for 3 to five hours somewhat than 1 to 2 hours, so it has an incredible impact on weight-reduction plan.
Chairman Seol is evaluated as ‘getting old backwards.’ Even when climbing with members of their 50s and 60s, they be part of the main group and climb to the highest with ease. Even on the age of almost 90, I often do headstands and three-finger push-ups with my thumb, index, and center finger. He stated, “Two years in the past, I had a bone density survey carried out on the hospital, and it got here out to be within the early 50s.”
Chairman Seol and his spouse, who’s 31 years older than him, hike Mt. Chukryeong for greater than two hours daily. He remarried his present spouse eight years in the past after a heartbreak. “We each had comparable hobbies and obtained alongside effectively,” he stated. He stated, “I’ve traveled everywhere in the metropolitan space, however I’ve by no means seen a spot like Sudong-myeon, Namyangju, with a leisure forest manufactured from pine bushes and a good looking valley, besides in Gangwon-do. “It’s an incredible place to maintain your well being.”
“I really feel higher once I go to the mountains. Timber, flowers, rocks, water within the valley… . It seems like interacting with nature. Additionally, the mountains are at all times altering. Flowers bloom, inexperienced leaves develop lush, and autumn leaves change shade. Snow-covered mountains are additionally artworks. Strolling in such good nature is sure to make you wholesome. “I’m so joyful I moved right here.”
Chairman Seol was additionally fascinated by psychological well being. He created the ‘Monetary Literature Society’ with colleagues who labored with him on the Ministry of Finance, and can also be its president. Yearly, we publish ‘Jae-gyeong Literature’, a group of poems, sijo, and essays created by our members. Subject 8 was revealed early this 12 months. He writes essays. He additionally made his debut by essay writing. He studied Chinese language characters once more to stop reminiscence deterioration, and 4 years in the past, he obtained a stage 1 certificates in Chinese language character proficiency from the Korean Language and Literature Affiliation.
Chairman Seol, who labored on the Ministry of Finance for almost 30 years, was senior vice chairman of Kookmin Card, worldwide director of VISA Worldwide, first chairman of the Jeonbuk Credit score Assure Basis, exterior director of Kyobo Life Insurance coverage, senior particular member of the Korean Committee for UNESCO, advisor to Samsung Hearth & Marine Insurance coverage, and chairman of the audit committee of Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority. He served as Chairman of the Audit Committee of IBK Funding & Securities. He’s nonetheless energetic, having been elected as the primary chairman of the Sungkyunkwan advisory group (37 individuals nationwide) early this 12 months. “Due to the stamina I gained by mountaineering, I can nonetheless drink two bottles of makgeolli,” he stated with a brilliant smile, including, “I’ll climb mountains even after I’m 100 years outdated.”
“It’s not essential to reside to 100, it’s essential to reside to 100 in good well being. For me, climbing is one of the best ways to remain wholesome.”
Reporter Yang Jong-gu yjongk@donga.com
2024-05-25 20:01:16