Korean Job Discussion Forums

Cornfed · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

In contrast to all the people who get sick in Korea, I seem to be inexplicably fit and healthy after 6 months in country. I still haven't been able to find a suitable gym or other club nearby, so I don't get out or exercise much. Mostly in my free time I just drink beer and/or soju and watch television. Although the job is fairly cruisey in some ways I've often been stressed or otherwise not terribly happy. Hence you would think I would be a physical wreck by now.

If fact, when I do do aerobic exercise such as running along the river or walking part-way up the nearby mountain, I seem to be fitter that when I got here, which was very fit. I'm quite strong as well. For example, I can bench press 80kg for about 15 reps at a bodyweight of ~76kg (the weigh doesn't go any higher). The other day I found I could military press a 60kg bar for 5 or 6 reps, having not done heavy military presses for over a year. While I put on a small amount of belly fat, I'm still on the same belt hole and seem to have started losing fat again while retaining muscle for some reason. Apart from an initial reaction to the dust I've never been sick apart from the cold I got recently.

I'm not sure what the cause of this would be. Perhaps alcohol is actually good for you and it is other factors that cause health problems in drinkers. Perhaps the traces of arsenic in the water are medicinal. Koreans seem to be generally healthier than Westerners. Perhaps being surrounded by them is having some kind of positive morphic-resonance type effect. It actually occurs to me that my lifestyle is kind of like being in prison, and prisoners are often physically impressive with unusually high testosterone. Maybe I should write an e-book summarizing my lifestyle and sell it over the Internet as a treatment for obesity.

The_Source · Joined: 09 Oct 2008

Or, the reason might be that your 6 months in Korea were during the warm months.

You might be in for a rough winter, my friend.

EzeWong · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Location: Seoul

What about food?

For me, it's probably the food, when I first got here I was eating traditional food and feeling healthy.

Althoughly lately I'm lagging and going back to fried chicken. Now I sleep like 10 hours a day.

Koveras · Joined: 09 Oct 2008

emilylovesyou · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Location: here

Rice, veggies, and soup will do it.

sojourner1 · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject:

You're probably eating less and losing weight. Are you still in you 20's? If so that explains why it doesn't require exercise to be strong and healthy, because you just naturally are with minimal effert if young.

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

I don't get sick often either. But still twice as often as back home.

PeteJB · Joined: 06 Jul 2007

The fact is, some people have better immune systems than others - usually developed through diet, situations and stress management techniques. On the flipside, some people have terrible immune systems, like my sister. This is due to the fact that she always results to prescription medications to fix her problems, and a result of taking medications for years (and needlessly stressing out) means your natural immune system begins to break down, so now she gets sick regular as clockwork. Being young helps, and staying fit isn't that difficult. I remember two years ago, I spent the entire summer sitting on my ass working on projects at home, and I remained perfectly healthy throughout.

Rusty Shackleford · Joined: 08 May 2008

Except for the lifting weights part, you just pretty much described me. My diet is rotten except for the school lunch and I have pretty much never been fitter. I go for a run once in awhile so my only exercise is a few push ups to wake me up in the morning.

On the occasions I do run, I feel pretty strong, low stamina but I recover quickly. Weird.

Cornfed · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

sojourner1 · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:24 pm Post subject:

You might be doing a lot more walking around in Korea which increases health.

I remember in my 1st year how I was sick for the 1st 3 months straight. Now I haven't been sick much at all since then, but I'm seeing Koreans getting sick all around me so it's only a matter of time before I succomb to their cold and flu with the windows closed and everyone coughing on me.

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

I'm getting over a cold now. It's my first cold in 8 months. I blame the water machine at work that is shared with the students. I bought a six pack of water and dragged it to work. Won't be getting sick again!

I'm generally healthier in Korea, but I think it's because I have more fun. In Canada I had nothing to do so I did nothing. Here I'm always running around doing things. More active mentally and physically = healthier.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

8 years in Korea and barely a cold. Think healthy, don't be a wimp, and you'll be fine.

D-Man · Joined: 17 Jun 2008

I once read that the human body's immune system is attacked over 300 times a day by potential illness causing bacteri and viruses.

That's a lot of stress on our immune systems.

Drink lots of whisky,eat somewhat healthily,don't smoke or do drugs,get in some green tea everyday,exercise occasionally and think happy thoughts and you should be ok! That's what I do anyway.

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

I, too, am strangely healthy in Korea.

My biggest health concern in Korea is alcohol. Alcohol makes me feel bad several times a month. It's a scourge and it should be banned.

I was 'properly' sick in the winter of 2006. I had a fever of approximately 1,000,000degrees and died four times over the course of a day. It was sucky.

But since then I've been fine. It always amuses me each year when the delicious amber fairy dust comes round and posters on this board start complaining about breathing difficulties and feeling sooooooo sick because of the Chinese yellow magic sand. The last two years I've been outside running during the heaviest 'yellow dust' days and it's really not bothered me. I think it's a reverse-placebo effect. Newbies and hypocondriachs get told: "You're gonna get sick if you dare to BREATHE tomorrow" and so they do. The poor dears.

Me, being a contrary sort, hears the above statement and decides that I *won't* get sick, if only to piss off the "pollution is so bad"-sayers. I've won so far.

Anyway, I get sick in Korea about once every 1.5 years on average (alcohol poisoning excluded). Much better than in Europe. Or the US for the matter.

Maybe the Koreans are right. I eat kimchi 2-3 times a day on average and I'm pretty healthy. Maybe kimchi is the cure of all ills. Long live the adjumma in my market who gives me $20 worth of kimchi for $5 because I'm handsome and lovely and white.