No, Fitness Center!

Huh Haeng-ryang, professor of communication art at Sejong University, now understands what simple life espoused by Peobjeong, a famous Buddhist priest, is about.

Starting July in 2001, he started to go to work by bicycle from his home in Dongbuichon-dong, Seoul, around 6:00 a.m. And he returns home around 6: 30 p.m. by bicycle, too.

"In the past I worked at a fitness center. It took me two and a half hours every day. But nowadays it took only one hour, including time for a shower. In the past, exercise was a `choice,` or `luxury` because I had to go to a fitness center for workout, while now I cannot but exercise in order to go to work. Now, exercise has become part of my life."

Because he couldn`t bicycle home under the influence of alcohol, he started to avoid having a drink in the evening. Therefore, he can spend more time with his young daughter. Every day he starts his day with pleasant feelings. He wears casual wear instead of formal suits. He often talks about health with his colleagues.

Professor Huh says that as late as two years ago, he could not find those who go to work by bicycle but that nowadays he can find more than 10 such people every day.

A growing number of people go to and from work in various healthy ways – from bicycling, to running and inline skating. This is one of the new phenomena driven by enthusiasm for health and fitness for the past two years. In particular, professionals whose time is very valuable are doing exercise on the way to and from work in order to save the time it takes to go to the fitness center.

Jung Doo-eon, 44-year-old deputy mayor of Seoul government, goes to work by bicycle. It takes about 40 minutes from his house in Hongeun-dong, Seodeamun-gu to the City Hall.

Not only I play a small part in solving the problem of heavy traffic in Seoul by using a bicycle, but also I can attend the morning meeting in a fresh mood.

There are also marathon club members who runs every morning. 40-year-old Kim Gi-wook, 38-year-old Ahn Jong-in and 32-year-old Kim Gi-rak, members of the marathon club in Hanhwa Petroleum and Chemicals in Ulsan, run 11km from the employee apartment in Moogu-dong to the company in Sangae-dong every morning.

˝I have lost 12kg from 72kg to 60kg since I began to run a year ago,˝ said Kim Gi-wook. ˝I no longer feel spring fatigue as I used to and hardly get sick.˝

Women are also doing their bits. Kim Gyeong-sook, 35-year-old manager at pharmaceutical company Lily Korea, inline skates. She walks 5 minutes to the riverside from her house in Apgujeong-dong and rides inline stake for about 25 minutes along the riverside toward her company in Samsung-dong.

˝You will never know what your feelings are like when inline skating watching the dawning beautiful sky.˝

A professor at Hangyang University walks to the university in Hangdang-dong, Seongdong-gu from his house in Gui-dong, Gwangjin-gu, wearing specially designed metal-installed shoes.

There are people climbing mountain in Ansan every morning to go to work. While many people still have hard times getting up feeling hangover from last night, many others get up early in the morning and exercise while going to work. They say, ˝Healthy people move ahead. Our bodies are our states.˝

Seong-Ju Lee stein33@donga.com