2024-07-20 07:25:17
In 2020, when the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) was spreading, the couple went to the soccer field together. The wife, who used to swim every day, followed her husband who played soccer when sports facilities were closed. While most sports facilities in Seoul and the metropolitan area were closed, some soccer fields were open in the provinces. Every Saturday, Kim Seon-yeo (63) follows her husband Shin Jae-cheol (66), the head of the Dongdaemun 60s Soccer Reserve Force in Seoul, to where he plays soccer and cheers him on.
Kim started hiking in the late 1990s when her husband started playing soccer. She followed her husband to the mountaineering club every weekend while he played soccer. And in 2000, when the Dongdaemun Community Welfare Center was built near her house (Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul), she started swimming at dawn. She has been swimming every morning and climbing mountains on weekends for 25 years.
“I like to move my body. My husband, who I used to spend weekends with, went out to play soccer, so I had to do something, and since there were people hiking around me, I started hiking. I also like to play in the water, so there was a swimming pool near my house. I signed up right away.”
Kim, born in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, had an “athletic instinct” from running around the mountains and fields since he was young. He also learned table tennis in middle school. He learned all four strokes (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly) in about four months. And unless something special came up, he would go to the pool every morning and swim for an hour. While swimming, which is a full-body workout, he gained about 5 kg. Fat was lost and muscles were increased. This is a natural phenomenon that occurs because muscles are heavier than fat. His body shape also became more elastic. As a result, people around him say, “You look much younger than your age.”
Since 2020, when COVID-19 was spreading, she couldn’t go swimming, so she started going to the soccer field with her husband. Now, Ms. Kim’s routine is to cheer on her husband’s soccer games on Saturdays and go hiking on Sundays.
Director Shin started playing soccer at the recommendation of a soccer fanatic junior from the countryside who came up to Seoul. Director Shin keeps fit by playing soccer on Saturdays and Sundays. According to a paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), even “weekend warriors” (people who do intense exercise on the weekends) can maintain their health and prevent various diseases if they follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO recommends 75 to 150 minutes of intense exercise or 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Vigorous exercise includes swimming, running, tennis singles, aerobic dancing, and cycling at a speed of 16 km/h or more. Moderate exercise includes walking at a speed of 4.8 km/h, cycling at a speed of 16 km/h or less, and tennis doubles.
According to the health rankings of the United States, a ‘sports paradise’, only 23% of people exercise according to the WHO standards. This means that it is not easy to maintain health through exercise. In Korea, there are many people who play soccer or go hiking on the weekends. Usually, soccer is played 3~4 times, 25 minutes each. This is 75~100 minutes of intense exercise. Mountain climbing is not finished in 1~2 hours. It usually takes 4~6 hours. This means that you do moderate to high intensity exercise with ups and downs for more than 240 minutes. This means that you can stay healthy by playing soccer or hiking on the weekends. Shin, who mainly plays goalkeeper but also plays field player, said, “I’ve had some big and small injuries, but I haven’t had any major health problems yet.”
Back to Mr. Kim’s story.
“I didn’t know soccer was this fun. It’s so much fun cheering on my husband’s team on the field. I followed them not only for the day’s schedule but also for the 1-night, 2-day trip to Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do. When going on the 1-night, 2-day trip, it was nice to eat delicious food and chat with many people at a condo or pension. Since I followed them, other members’ wives also came out, and we formed a cheering squad of 3-4 people. We also hand out food and drinks to the opposing team. Now, if the opposing team doesn’t know me, they’re spies. The opposing team members also bring us cosmetics and nutritional supplements. On Saturdays, we cheer loudly, and on Sundays, we quietly climb the mountain.”
Her interest in soccer has also increased. She often watches the English Premier League, where Son Heung-min (Tottenham) plays, domestic professional soccer, and the Korean national soccer team with her husband. She said, “I don’t know much about techniques and tactics, but I know when to pass and when to shoot. That’s why when members make mistakes, I jeer and say, ‘Can’t you do that?’” She also tried to play soccer herself, but she gave up because no team would accept her because she was too old, and she just cheered.
He said that he climbed all 100 famous mountains in Korea, although he didn’t count them exactly. He climbed the mountain four times a month for about 30 years, so even if he missed a few times due to work, the number of times he climbed the mountain is well over 1,000. The mountain gave him many things. He climbed the mountain for an average of 4 to 5 hours, and sometimes 6 to 7 hours, so his cardiopulmonary endurance and physical strength improved. Because of this, he was able to learn swimming easily. He said, “The mountain has good air, and there are many things to see, such as flowers, trees, rocks, and streams. It’s hard to climb, but when you reach the top and look down, you feel a sense of accomplishment, as if you own the world.” He also recently visited Hallasan Mountain in Jeju.
Even after moving to Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu five years ago, Kim still swims at dawn at the Dongdaemun Community Welfare Center. He said, “I take the subway to Jegi-dong at dawn and start swimming at 6 o’clock.” Swimming is a source of vitality in life. If I don’t swim even for a day, my body gets tired and my day becomes a mess. After sweating profusely in the water and taking a shower, my body feels light as if it could fly. That makes the day enjoyable. After swimming, she goes to her husband’s factory (which manufactures scarves and handkerchiefs) near the welfare center to help out. Kim said, “My husband and I are always together except when I go swimming or hiking. People say, ‘Are you still doing that?’ but they envy me,” and laughed heartily. The couple said they have never had separate rooms since they got married.
Kim is also learning quilting (making patterns with sewing) these days. He said, “I do it as a hobby because they say it is good for preventing dementia.” Her husband, Shin, said, “My wife moves all day long. I have never seen her rest.” Kim said, “Even if she comes home from work with music on, she doesn’t take a nap. I feel alive when I am doing something.” Kim is active in everything. She is the women’s committee chair of the Jaegyeongnamwon Hyangwoohoe.
Mr. Shin said, “I like how my wife works hard and stays healthy. It’s because of COVID-19, but our relationship has gotten better since we started going to the soccer field together. I think it’s a great help in life when a couple has a hobby they do together.”
Reporter Yang Jong-gu [email protected]
2024-07-20 07:25:17