Kwon Soon-yong, professor of orthopedic surgery at Seoul St. End the day with rowing exercise Strength training with kettlebells, etc… “You must exercise whenever you have free time to do real exercise.” You need to increase your protein intake as you get older.
Kwon Soon-yong, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, said, “Thanks to drinking a mixture of soy flour and milk for breakfast for 20 years, I have no symptoms of hair loss or constipation.” Professor Kwon emphasized that beans are a protein-rich food and that isoflavones are good for bone health. Provided by Seoul St. Hospital
Kwon Soon-yong, a 63-year-old professor of orthopedic surgery at Seoul’s St Mary’s Hospital, had a busier 50s than any other doctor. From 2017 to 2021, he served as director of St. Paul and St. Paul’s Hospital Mary Eunpyeong. Until last year, he served as president of three societies. He also worked as a TV program host.
The more work to do, the less time to exercise. I couldn’t afford to go to the gym. Instead, I exercised in my spare time in the lab and at home. If you don’t have enough sleep, it’s like taking a side sleep. Professor Kwon said, “If you set aside time to practice deliberately, it’s a sport. It’s a real workout that I do whenever I get the chance in my everyday life.”
Professor Kwon also pays attention to what he eats. He emphasized, “The older you get, the better you eat, exercise, and sleep well to ensure a healthy old age.” Professor Kwon tries to follow this principle. I heard about the health law that has been followed for decades.
Breakfast with soya beans and milk for 20 years
His hometown is Gangwon-do. Every 2 or 3 months, they fly in soybeans grown in their hometown. Grind the beans finely in the mill and freeze them in the freezer. This bean powder is breakfast.
Scoop out the bean powder twice with a spoon to eat rice and put it in a bowl. Next, remove the brown rice sprouts with a teaspoon and add them to the bowl. Add 300cc of white milk there. Stir with a spoon for about 10 seconds to dissolve all the contents. Inhale immediately.
It is a breakfast method that has been maintained for over 20 years. By the time I was in my mid-40s, my hair had gone grey. When the deceased mother heard that eating beans would make her hair black, she crushed the beans and served them to her son. At that time I was a novice teacher. I was so busy that I couldn’t even open my eyes, and I couldn’t even eat breakfast properly. I started eating it because it could easily replace breakfast. That custom continues to this day.
My hair didn’t go black. However, there were no signs of hair loss.
“Everyone in my family has some hair loss, but I have a lot of hair. I think there is a possibility that the ingredients in the beans worked.”
It covers the isoflavones in soybeans. Isoflavones have a similar action to the female hormone estrogen, and are known to be useful for bone health. Professor Kwon also confirmed this effect of isoflavones through animal experiments.
There is also a feeling of satiety. I have never felt hungry after eating ‘soy milk’. It also has an effect on gut health. I have never experienced any symptoms of constipation before. Is it because of this advantage? Fellow teachers of the same age take one or two nutritional supplements as they get older, but Professor Kwon does not.
Eat plenty of protein and enjoy a half body bath
I like beans, but I don’t prefer a raw food diet where I only eat certain foods. For lunch and dinner, eat a regular meal with a variety of side dishes. However, there is a family history of high blood pressure, so try to avoid salty foods. For example, soup is eaten raw, and stews with a strong salty taste are avoided as much as possible. Another thing is that you don’t eat enough to fill your stomach. It is called small food.
Professor Kwon has a food philosophy. In any case, it is to fill the recommended daily amount of protein. If you ate a carbohydrate-rich lunch or dinner, eat a couple of extra eggs when you get home. to replenish protein. Eating beans and milk every morning is not irrelevant to this philosophy. Beans are considered the best vegetable protein.
There is a reason why you take protein. Protein is essential for muscle and bone health. Protein is also necessary to maintain brain function as we age. Professor Kwon said, “You can eat enough protein to the extent that you want to overdo it. Protein is one of the most important factors in longevity.”
There are things to enjoy besides eating. I have been a fan of half bath for 15 years. As soon as I wake up at 5 am every day, I go to the bathroom and take a half body bath for about 15 minutes. A half body bath is also recommended for hip joint (thigh joint) patients. It is said that taking a half body bath for about 15 minutes every day to the extent that sweat builds up in the chest can help relieve pain. When taking a half body bath, the upper body temperature is low and the lower body temperature is high. In order to overcome the temperature difference, the activity of the heart becomes active. As a result, blood flow increases and circulation improves, which relieves swelling and pain.
Practice rowing at home every night
He has a slight congenital abnormality in the hip joint. Since I do a lot of surgery, I need strength. Consequently, core muscle training was absolutely necessary. A rowing machine was installed in the living room of the house to help with rowing movements. Every day after work, I row hard for 15 to 30 minutes. They row about 30 times a minute, which is quite a high intensity.
This move has been going on for 15 years. What would be good? First of all, it significantly helped to strengthen the core and lower body muscles. As it is a sitting exercise, the pressure is not placed on the knees, so there is no stress on the joints. However, if you swing your arms wide, your shoulder muscles will also become toned. Professor Kwon laughed, saying, “Thanks to the rowing exercise, I can still perform long-term surgeries.” Another advantage is that there is no noise, so there is no nuisance for the neighbours. He recommended this exercise for older people over 60 years of age.
Professor Kwon said the amount of exercise should increase as one ages. This is because even if you exercise for the same amount of time as a young person, the effect of the exercise can be reduced. For this reason, on days when I get off work early, I go out to the riverside by bike. I ride my bike for 2 hours like this twice a week on average. At weekends, we go further afield. After riding a bike for about 80 km to Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, I take the train home. Taking your dog for a walk is also a little exercise. Sometimes on weekends, when I have time, I go trekking in the mountains.
There’s a reason why you keep exercising like this. Even after I turn 80, I want to treat patients. To do that, you need to maintain your stamina. Therefore, your current efforts are an investment in your future. He said, “If you lose your health, you can’t do anything. If you are planning a second life after the age of 60, I would like to tell you to pay the most attention to your health.”
● “Solving strength training with one kettle bell”
Kettlebells are recommended as a good way to do strength training whenever you have time. It is good that the equipment does not take up a lot of space and allows you to perform various exercise movements. Professor Kwon keeps an 8kg kettlebell in the lab and at home and practices whenever he can. Let’s try just a few moves. Do 1 to 4 sets of 12 reps for each movement.
‘Kettlebell Exercise’ recommended by Professor Kwon
① Put one foot forward and bend both knees slightly. Keeping your upper body upright, lift the kettlebell with your arms only. It is good for strengthening the muscles from the top of the elbow to the shoulder.
② Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab the kettlebell with both hands and pull it up to your chest. Then stretch your arms out from your chest. It is good for building the muscles in the chest area.
③ Take a squat position while holding the kettlebell with both hands. Keep the arm holding the kettlebell close to your chest. Helps strengthen core muscles.
④ Slowly bend the upper body while holding the kettlebell with both hands. Then, repeat the motion of stretching the upper body and bending it again. It helps strengthen the thigh area, thigh muscles and back muscles.
Correspondent Kim Sang-hoon corekim@donga.com
