Aerobics for the older generation, MZ running crews… Next up: “Hi, ROX!” - 경향신문

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The evolution of everyday fitness in South Korea… So what is trending now?

On Saturday evening, I headed to the riverside park along the Han River next to Olympic-daero. The walking path separated from the bike lane is a running hotspot where you can safely run while looking out over the river. From people in their twenties to seniors with graying hair, people of all ages were running into the river breeze. Since when did the whole nation become marathoners? Exercise has trends, too: aerobics, hiking, gym workouts, boxing, yoga, Pilates, ballet-fit, golf, and now running. From the 1980s to today, the workouts people flock to have changed with the times. If once it was enough just to move and sweat, at some point a slim figure and firm muscles became key goals. Now we have gone a step further into an era of measuring our times, setting targets, taking on challenges, and sharing the process with others. Exercise has become a culture that goes beyond basic fitness, revealing tastes and connecting people.

For 56-year-old Lee Kyung-Jin, exercise has always been part of daily life. Lee has tried a wide range of popular workouts at least once, and following Lee's athletic history naturally reveals the evolution of everyday fitness in Korea. It began with aerobics classes Lee attended as a child alongside Lee's mother. The memories are vivid of moving arms and legs to upbeat music and repeating the moves until beads of sweat formed on the forehead. In the 1980s, aerobics truly took the country by storm. Aerobics studios sprang up in every neighborhood, and group workouts to lively music were beloved by everyone from homemakers to students.

From the late 1990s into the early 2000s, the workout space expanded into the home. As diet videos by celebrities like Lee So-Ra and Cho Hye-Ryeon became hits, following along with on-screen moves popularized home fitness. Lee also rented videos and did diet exercises at home, recalling that people lent tapes to one another and worked out conveniently at home. Exercise, which had meant going to a gym or aerobics studio at set times, expanded into an everyday activity you could do at home.

In the 2000s, hiking and gym training became staples of everyday exercise. On weekends Lee hit the mountains and also learned strength training at the gym. If hiking was a way to combine fitness with outdoor leisure, gyms became popular as places to manage weight and body fat while building strength. Yoga and Pilates also took hold as options for those focused on flexibility, posture, and balance. Lee tried yoga and Pilates with friends as well. In the 2010s, personal training (PT) spread as people managed body shape and recorded physical changes before and after workouts. Lee said they also keep workout photos on their phone.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, golf enjoyed a new heyday. With overseas travel difficult and indoor activities restricted, attention turned to golf, which can be enjoyed in wide-open outdoor spaces. Lee also took up golf during this period. According to the Korea Golf Course Management Association, the number of users at golf courses nationwide rose by 12.1%, from about 41.7 million in 2019 to about 46.74 million in 2020. In 2021 it exceeded 50 million for the first time, at about 50.57 million.

If golf requires accepting relatively high costs, running became popular as a mass-participation sport during the pandemic because anyone can start with just a pair of running shoes. As running crews and marathon events gained popularity, running expanded from a solo activity into something to enjoy with others. Using apps to improve one's times or setting concrete goals such as first attempts at a half or full marathon also became motivation to keep exercising.

Song Su-Bin (47), who started running two years ago, said they were so dedicated that they attempted a half marathon just five months in, and that when they experienced runner's high it felt like being born again. Runner's high refers to a phenomenon in which, during running, neurochemicals such as endorphins reduce pain and anxiety and elevate mood.

However, as the running population has grown, concerns about injuries and safety incidents have also emerged. At the Seoul Running Half Marathon held in Seoul on October 11, a woman in her twenties collapsed about 500 meters from the finish line, was taken to a hospital, and died. Although the exact cause of death has not been confirmed, calls have grown for safer race operations. Marathoner Hwang Young-Jo, a director at the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, also warned about the risks of excessive race participation and the competition to cut times.

Song, too, has taken a break from running in recent months as ankle and knee pain worsened. Song said they are currently doing strength training at a rehabilitation sports center near home. Running revealed the joy of exercise, but after experiencing pain, they are now seeking workouts that better suit them.

Heard of it? ‘running + functional exercise’ Hyrox… Will you follow the celebrities, too?

Hyrox, which combines running with strength training, is emerging as a new fitness trend. Provided by Hong Beom-Seok

How long will the running boom last? And what workout will capture people next? Among those who have already discovered the fun of exercise through running, a new movement is appearing: adding strength work to running or taking on hybrids that combine different disciplines.

Recently, as celebrities such as SHINee's Minho introduced Hyrox on television, interest has grown among the general public. Jang Su-Jin (27, a pseudonym), who had been a regular runner, signed up at a CrossFit gym last year. Jang said that after entering a Hyrox relay with women who had been training there longer, they cheer one another on and work out together, adding that training together accelerates skill gains and heightens the sense of accomplishment.

Hyrox is an indoor fitness race that began in Germany in 2017. Athletes alternate 1 km runs with functional exercises eight times. After each 1 km, they complete set tasks such as the SkiErg, sled push and pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer's carry, sandbag lunges, and wall balls. Over a total of 8 km of running, competitors test strength, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory endurance together. There are also doubles for two people and a relay split among four. Because the race format and tasks are standardized, everyday athletes can measure their times and aim to improve them at subsequent events.

Hong Beom-Seok, a contestant on the Netflix variety show <Physical: 100> and now a gym owner, highlighted as a strength of Hyrox that ordinary people can experience competition like athletes. He explained that what matters is not whether someone is a former elite but how consistently they have trained running and functional movements. In Korea, more CrossFit gyms are training with Hyrox races as a goal.

So will Hyrox be the next act to follow the running boom? Hong noted that because Hyrox is demanding, the sense of accomplishment upon finishing is great, and with steady training you can even aim for age-group awards. What keeps people exercising is not only times or rankings. Confirming that you are better than yesterday, and the joy of taking on and achieving goals together that would be hard to reach alone, are part of the appeal. Even if fashionable disciplines change, the desire to gain a sense of achievement through exercise remains unchanged.