Senior citizen athletes show it's never too late to get fit
- 3 years ago
시니어 인생 제 2막... 그들의 남다른 몸관리법
Now, getting up in the early hours of the morning to run ten kilometers before breakfast might sound like a challenge... even for young people.
But some senior citizens in Seoul are doing just that.
Our Kim Yeon-seung met up with some fitness fanatics... who are proving that age is just a number.
85-year-old Seo Yeong-kab holds three bodybuilding records.
He's the oldest body builder to compete, he has entered the most competitions, and he has won the most too.
After winning some 120 of the 150 competitions that he has entered, his house is full to the brim with medals and trophies.
But he only started bodybuilding at 64.
And he never lets his old age get in the way of his passion for working out.
"Muscles don't age. That's my life motto. Senior citizens in the country, don't sit on your butts because you're old. Do squats with a dumbbell. Your thighs will get better. You won't need a cane. You won't need a stroller."
By a park that runs along the Dorimcheon River in Seoul, several men, well over 70 years old, meet up before the crack of dawn.
They too, are all record holders.
"On July 5th, I ran my 1000th marathon. It took me 20 years to do a 1000 full courses. The earth's circumference is about 40,000 kilometers, and I ran about 42,000 kilometers. So I basically went a full circle around the earth and I'm not stopping."
These men are members of the "marathoners over 70" club, and they all have a deep passion for running.
"There's nothing in the world that gives me greater joy. I get an endorphin rush."
"I wake up every day at 4 a.m. to run at least 10 kilometers. Every weekend, I enter a competition, and I finish more than 60 full courses and more than 10 half courses each year."
Many of them only started running in their 50s or 60s.
They say that running has cured them of asthma, joint problems, and back aches.
And just as importantly, they are making the most of every day.
"Tomorrow isn't guaranteed for me. At my age, I don't know what'll happen this afternoon, or if I'll die tomorrow. But I'm going to do my best as long as I can walk and until I reach my limit."
Whether it's lifting weights or running marathons, these men are proof that it's never too late to get fit.
Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News
Now, getting up in the early hours of the morning to run ten kilometers before breakfast might sound like a challenge... even for young people.
But some senior citizens in Seoul are doing just that.
Our Kim Yeon-seung met up with some fitness fanatics... who are proving that age is just a number.
85-year-old Seo Yeong-kab holds three bodybuilding records.
He's the oldest body builder to compete, he has entered the most competitions, and he has won the most too.
After winning some 120 of the 150 competitions that he has entered, his house is full to the brim with medals and trophies.
But he only started bodybuilding at 64.
And he never lets his old age get in the way of his passion for working out.
"Muscles don't age. That's my life motto. Senior citizens in the country, don't sit on your butts because you're old. Do squats with a dumbbell. Your thighs will get better. You won't need a cane. You won't need a stroller."
By a park that runs along the Dorimcheon River in Seoul, several men, well over 70 years old, meet up before the crack of dawn.
They too, are all record holders.
"On July 5th, I ran my 1000th marathon. It took me 20 years to do a 1000 full courses. The earth's circumference is about 40,000 kilometers, and I ran about 42,000 kilometers. So I basically went a full circle around the earth and I'm not stopping."
These men are members of the "marathoners over 70" club, and they all have a deep passion for running.
"There's nothing in the world that gives me greater joy. I get an endorphin rush."
"I wake up every day at 4 a.m. to run at least 10 kilometers. Every weekend, I enter a competition, and I finish more than 60 full courses and more than 10 half courses each year."
Many of them only started running in their 50s or 60s.
They say that running has cured them of asthma, joint problems, and back aches.
And just as importantly, they are making the most of every day.
"Tomorrow isn't guaranteed for me. At my age, I don't know what'll happen this afternoon, or if I'll die tomorrow. But I'm going to do my best as long as I can walk and until I reach my limit."
Whether it's lifting weights or running marathons, these men are proof that it's never too late to get fit.
Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News