Mindful Movement for a Better Future
Series: Self-Care for the Adventurous Spirit
Have you ever felt out of breath walking up a hill and realized it was more than just the altitude? That was me, navigating Korea's endless uphill trails. It was a humbling moment that reminded me of the importance of staying active—not just for travel, but for life.
How Fitness Shapes Your Adventures
Movement is not just a fad to be implemented on a holiday but a way of life. It is difficult to incorporate movement when out of your element or during ultra-busy seasons. Without a strong dedication to moving your body not only will it slip through the cracks but it could thwart your plans for your next adventure.
Movement as a Lifestyle, Not a Fad
I am no stranger to regular exercise and constant movement. As a student-athlete, I have been working out since the fifth grade. However when you are that young it seems no one tells you the importance of continuing to work out or how to incorporate it into your busy schedule once team practice is no longer a requirement. And as a young spry teenager, I never believed my mother when she said my body would start to change in my twenties.
From Student-Athlete to Freshman 15: My Journey with Movement
Thrown into adulthood, as a college student who didn’t know how to cook, hated the cafeteria food, and no longer played sports, I gained well over the freshman 15 I heard so much about. I moved my body as often as possible but with every class assignment I saw the inside of the gym less and less. It was in college that I was first presented with knee pain, a reoccuring issue within my family tree.
Discovering New Ways to Move Post-College
My knee pain was a wake up call and post-college I started taking my health seriously. I learned how to cook, and started hiking the trails in Griffith Park regularly. At the end of 2017, I took up cardio kickboxing with iLoveKickboxing. Over the years I have taken many fitness classes from kickboxing, yoga, pole dancing, and even joined a rock climbing gym.
By the time I left for Korea, I was in great shape. I worked out 4-5 times a week, combining pole dancing, weightlifting, and contortion training for a comprehensive routine. Just when I thought I had regained control of my fitness, Korea presented me with a new challenge—a challenge I wasn’t entirely prepared for.
Facing Korea’s Uphill Battle: A Different Kind of Training
Everything is a Hike: Lessons from Korea
Don’t let my smile fool you, I stopped trusting Koreans after hiking Obongsan
The landscape of Korea is nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Everywhere you go there is an uphill battle. If there is one thing I can tell you about Korea as an American it is this: EVERYTHING IS A HIKE.
I don’t care what the locals tell you:
“It’s just up the street.”
It’s a hike.
“It’s an easy trail even the elderly do it.”
it is, in fact, a hike.
You have to see Gamcheon Culture Village”
This is true, but it is also a hike.
I hiked the Gupo Forest Trail every day until I could enjoy this view with even breathing
Adapting to a New Terrain
With all my training and cross-training, the hikes of Korea continuously beat me. It didn’t take long for me to tire of being out of breath just walking from the bus stop to my dorm. I began waking up early and hiking up and down the path twice a day until it felt easy. Even still, that was just the tip of what I needed to accomplish.
Adapting to a new environment often requires more than just physical preparation—it takes patience, consistency, and the willingness to start small.
Building Strength to Keep Up with Adventure
Watching my friends from above because I lacked confidence to make it back up the stairs
By the time I left Korea, I was a natural. I took the stairs often, hiked up every path I could find (several times until it got easier), and started eating better. To me, it was embarrassing to not be able to keep up with the ajumma’s (elderly women) on trails or to be out of breath trying to get out of the subway.
Fitness as a Tool for Exploration
The difference is that I worked out often, and still had a hard time. While I got better and every day wasn’t a complete struggle there are still activities and places in Korea I only got a partial view of because I didn’t want someone to have to carry me back.
Preparing for Future Adventures
Movement is not just for on the road. Without constantly moving before my trip to Korea, I don’t think I would have been able to do as much as I did, in my first few months. This got me thinking about movement as a whole and how it would affect my future travels.
Every place I venture to is an opportunity for a new adventure. Whether I
Iearn to scuba dive
take a wrestling class
get invited on a hike
enter a cave
For every new adventure, I would need a certain level of fitness to have the confidence to attempt to achieve them.
The Beauty of Running and Calisthenics
My heart is with group classes and lessons, but they are not always feasible or available. In the interim, I have taken up running and calisthenics. I have run on and off for many years, usually from spring to early summer, as I hate to go outside in winter. However, I am determined now more than ever to keep it up. I started with the app Couch to 5k and am currently in week 14 of its companion app Couch to 10k.
Running and calisthenics offer a consistency that group classes do not.
Post pull-up competition at a random park in Hanoi
I can participate alone or together.
I can go at my own pace.
I can engage in these activities anywhere.
I can run alone on the river in Venice or the cherry blossom trails in Busan.
I can meet locals at a pull-up bar in Hanoi and watch a contest ensue.
I can practice my still very short and shaky handstands in the comfort of my hotel room from anywhere in the world.
If you’re looking for activities that travel well, running and calisthenics are a perfect fit. They require minimal equipment and allow you to stay connected to local communities wherever you go.
Running with a view towards new adventures
Movement as a Lifelong Practice
I do not doubt that I will still encounter difficulties with my physical abilities, in the future both abroad and at home.
(My nephew just turned one and my knees can not handle being on the floor for too long).
As our bodies age and injuries slow us down, it is important to keep moving in whatever ways we can. We must balance comfort with small improvements.
Whether it’s a quick stretch in your living room or a brisk walk in your neighborhood, start moving today. Your body will thank you on your next adventure—and so will your spirit.
