The perfect winter workout

“Ohwoonwan” is a freshly coined word that is popular among many office workers. “Ohwoonwan” means “I exercised this morning, afternoon, or today” and shows just how enthusiastic many office workers are about exercising. But even with this passion, how many office workers still work out towards the end of the year, when there are so many holiday gatherings? What should people do to actually keep their New Year’s resolution of “exercising”? Let’s learn more about the healthy lifestyles of Hyundai Glovis employees achieved through “weight training.”

Meet Hyundai Glovis’s “exercise junkies”

“Exercise” is considered a lifelong learning and practice. “Weight training” is one of the most accessible activities for office workers. Many office workers use their lunch break to go to the gym or lift weights, fitting their exercise routine into the few spare moments between their work hours. “Body profile” pictures are particularly popular among Millennials and Gen Zers. The idea is to create an ideal body image after strengthening your muscles through “weight training” and by controlling what you eat. The most essential thing is to gradually create your ideal physique over a period of 6 to 12 months, rather than trying to make drastic changes over a brief period of time.

However, towards the end of the year, with plenty of year-end parties and other events to plan and attend, it is easy to forget to keep up with your daily exercise routine. To keep yourself on track, an exercise journal is highly recommended. An exercise journal can be used to record what you did during the day and is useful for creating exercise routines. You can record the type and intensity of each exercise, as well as the amount of time you spend exercising and the number of calories you burn. You can also write down the foods and calories you consumed to improve the impact of your workout.

Many people shy away from exercising during their workday because they don’t want to mess up their work clothes, but it is a good idea to bring sneakers, jump rope, and sportswear with you to work so that you can exercise whenever you have time. If you are motivated by people around you who enjoy exercise or are proud of their physique, or if you are given the right knowledge for an effective workout, it might encourage you to end your year in a healthy way!

Manager Park Gwang-rae, Compliance Team, won first place in the physique division of the 2021 Office Worker Bodybuilding Competition. He has been weight training since 2014, as a way to bulk up his physique and improve his physical constitution, and as a consequence, he has compensated for any physical weaknesses and obtained fantastic results.

“The benefit of “weight training” is that, when compared to other hobbies, it doesn’t require great monetary investments and it is easily accessible. Anyone with the means and the will to work out can begin at any moment.”

Manager Park Gwang-rae goes to the gym every weekday unless there is a special event. Since he and his wife recently had a baby, he uses his lunch break to exercise at the company gym, and then he visits the gym in his apartment complex whenever he has time on the weekends. He once used to spend about an hour and a half at the gym every day but now spends approximately 50 minutes to an hour. He stresses the importance of going to the gym on a regular basis.

“I believe that developing a habit at the start of any activity is the most essential thing, but it is tough to make up your mind, especially since ‘weight training’ requires a lot of energy. That’s why it’s important to do things to give yourself motivation, such as creating a goal or spending time with someone you know who is also interested in ‘weight training.’ In order to develop an interest in ‘weight training,’ it is best to learn about it by asking a trainer or coworkers who also exercise. If you ask me, I’ll gladly help you. 😊”

Regularly stretching on a chair to relieve fatigue

Manager Park Gwang-rae, who is very interested in “weight training,” is also conscientious about sleep. He tries to go to sleep early, so he normally goes to bed before 11 p.m. Even on weekends, he makes it a habit of getting up between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., so his biorhythms are well established and he can always remain in a similar physical condition. At work, he frequently stretches.

“Office workers who sit for long periods tend to clump up their backs, hips, and shoulder muscles. So, when sitting on a chair, I recommend stretching your lower body and lower back to reduce fatigue.”

At work, he regularly stretches in two ways. For the first type of stretch, sit on the edge of you chair, extend one leg forward and bend forward, while keeping your back straight, so that you feel tightening in the back of your thighs (hamstrings). Repeating this stretch several times can significantly relax the muscles in your thigh and buttocks. You can also stretch the muscles in your buttocks (glutes) if you sit on the edge of your chair, placing the ankle of one leg over the knee of the other leg, and then bend forward, keeping your back straight. Manager Park recommends releasing the tension in these areas through stretching to maintain the health of your pelvis and lower back.

“I believe that maintaining a well-balanced diet is also very important. I try not to skip meals by eating at regular intervals and in moderate amounts. Nowadays, the company’s breakfast section includes a C course, which I frequently eat. Due to this, I consume bread, chicken breast, and protein bars on a daily basis. Every morning, I also take a multivitamin, milk thistle, and a nutritional supplement for my joints.”

Setting an intuitive goal is the first step in exercising

Setting an intuitive goal was key to helping Manager Park’s keep up with his training. Goals can include taking body profile pictures or participating in fitness contests. Making promises to family members or acquaintances can also provide motivation.

“I felt really motivated when I set a goal for myself of training for a competition. The pressure of competing against others on stage pushed me to work harder, and I felt like I progressed more than normal as a result. I intend to compete at least once a year, and I am already driven by the prospect of growing even more with each challenge.”

Since Manager Park Gwang-rae is already so committed to working out, it seems that the end of the year will be no different for him. Despite his commitment to healthy living, Manager Park also said that it was also important to enjoy the end-of-year spirit and festivities. His approach to exercise serves as a good example for his colleagues, many of whom may be considering resolving to exercise more in the new year.

“‘Do you exercise to be healthy?’ or ‘Do you want to be healthy to exercise more?’ Which of these things best describes you? Surprisingly, I belong to the latter group. You cannot work out if you are not in good physical shape, and your performance will suffer in return. That is why I maintain a healthy physique—so that I can work out more.”

Tip> Workout apps and YouTube videos recommended by Manager Park Gwang-rae!

The “FAT SECRET” app makes it easy to determine the nutritional value of the foods you eat. The app also includes information on most ready-made items available at the supermarket, allowing you to conveniently input nutritional information and monitor your calorie intake. There are numerous useful exercise-related videos on YouTube these days, so exercise is even more accessible than it was in the past. “Yang’s Online PT” is a good series for beginners, and “Kim Seong-hwan’s Health Tube” is great for the intermediate level and above.

“The key to my continued workouts is that I have fun doing them. I believe that if you discover an activity that you love, you will be able to continue doing it.”

Manager Lee Choong-gu of RCM Team 1, said that he began doing Taekwondo while in middle school before moving on to soccer and “weight training,” and that he has been exercising consistently ever since. In college, he played soccer 2-3 times a week, but after he started working at the company, he switched to going to the gym because it was more accessible. The number one thing he achieved over his six years of fitness was a change in his clothing size.

“I used to wear a medium, but now I wear an XL. In June of this year, I finished second in the physique division of a local fitness competition. Even more recently, I’ve been trying to exercise as much as possible every day with the goal of maintaining my health. During the week, I work out for an hour in the evening at the company gym.”

According to Manager Lee Choong-gu, who can be called an “exercise junkie,” the secret to lifting weights is to solidify your basic stance. He also highly recommends taking a personal training session if you are new to “weight training” so that you may learn the proper posture and avoid possible injury.

“There are a lot of workout videos on YouTube, but it’s quite difficult to follow a video without actually having done the exercise. Another key thing to remember is to stretch well before and after your workout. The majority of office employees who spend a significant amount of time in front of a computer have shoulders that are rounded forward. Stretching before exercise, like stretching to straighten your rounded shoulders, can help you work out more efficiently.”

While working out, Manager Lee prioritizes avoiding injury as much as possible. That is why he spends a lot of time stretching before and after each workout, and why he focuses on his posture during weightlifting rather than the amount of weight.

It is important to exercise, even if you can only do it briefly

Manager Lee Choong-gu claims that he is not the type of person who works really hard to maintain his health. Still, he tries to avoid late-night snacks and avoids going too long on an empty stomach. Since having an empty stomach for a long period leads to overeating, he consumes almonds or soy milk in the morning and small snacks between lunch and dinner. He spends a lot of time at work sitting, so he tries to maintain good posture while working. When working at a computer, many people instinctively cross their legs or stretch their neck to look at the monitor, but he avoids those things as much as possible. Manager Lee, who suffers from herniated disc in his neck, frequently performs McKenzie exercises at work.

“For anyone with a sore neck, I recommend doing a 5-minute McKenzie exercise in both the morning and afternoon. McKenzie exercises are designed to spread the chest wide as if gathering your should blades together behind your back, then gently rotating and tilting your neck and holding it in different positions. I do these exercises whenever I have free time, and it works for me.”

Manager Lee claims that even towards the end of the year, when working out is difficult and there are many get-togethers, he makes time to exercise, even if just for a short period. Exercising in the company gym or going for a walk in the Seoul Forest during lunchtime helps him relax and recharge. At the same time, he is also careful to not overdo things when it comes to his regime.

“Whether it’s exercise or diet, you should avoid overdoing things and trying to see benefits quickly. If you create a long-term objective that you can stick to, you will be able to experience a different version of yourself before you even realize it.”

Tip> Workout apps and YouTube videos recommended by Manager Lee Choong-gu!

I recommend YouTube’s “Mr. Physio,” “Azzi’s Exercise TV,” and “Phycato Channel,” which are all about rehabilitation exercises. They are valuable channels for learning stretching techniques for troublesome areas, and are handy for learning stretches to do before exercising.