[Life Act 3 Companies] Senior Exercise Platform 'LiveLively'

Operating the platform 'Noricare'... Over 900 affiliated trainers
From personal PT for seniors to non-face-to-face exercise lectures
"Exercise prescriptions considering diseases elderly patients suffer from"

Ji Chang-dae, CEO of LiveLively. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "No matter how beneficial a medicine is, if used incorrectly, it becomes poison. Exercise is the same; seniors need exercises that are just right for them."

'LiveLively' is a senior healthcare startup with the vision of 'making old age enjoyable.' CEO Changdae Ji (27) said, "The generation that really needs exercise is not the young generation but the senior generation," and introduced the company as "one that turns the 'weak elderly' into 'strong elderly'." Currently, LiveLively operates the exercise service for seniors called 'NoriCare' along with the Korea Senior Sports Evaluation Association, a specialized association for senior rehabilitation exercise.

Ji's interest in the senior generation was greatly influenced by his grandmother. His grandmother was vigorous enough to use public transportation until her early 90s. However, after experiencing a slipping accident, her health rapidly deteriorated due to a fractured hip. Within less than three months of hospitalization, she could no longer recognize Ji, and her muscles began to atrophy rapidly. Eventually, Ji could hold his grandmother's leg with one hand due to her extreme frailty.

This experience made Ji realize the importance of fall prevention. In particular, he believed that exercise for the senior generation should be the foundation for prevention. Improving muscle function and gait stability reduces the risk of falls. However, at that time, there was no systematic service to teach exercise to the elderly, so Ji devised a customized exercise service called NoriCare exclusively for seniors. Ji said, "When exercises are done correctly, not only do the physical functions of the elderly improve, but their quality of life itself changes," adding, "Research also shows that exercise helps seniors physically as well as emotionally and cognitively."

NoriCare is characterized by providing personalized exercise methods and nutrition management based on the user's cognitive and physical functions. Caregivers or administrators complete diagnostic surveys and physical examinations through the NoriCare application (app), which then recommends customized exercise programs. Ji said, "We 'prescribe' exercises considering all the diseases the elderly have," and emphasized, "If you don't exercise, aging progresses rapidly, so systematic exercise should start from the 50s."

Currently, NoriCare offers personal training (PT), group PT, and non-face-to-face live classes for seniors nationwide. There are over 900 senior-specialized exercise instructors affiliated with the service. These instructors receive training focused on practical aspects such as elderly physical characteristics, geriatric diseases, and senior communication, and must pass a separate evaluation process. Ji said, "To provide accurate training, you need to understand how the elderly body ages," adding, "Our strength lies in having the largest number of exercise instructors in Korea who can guide senior exercise."

Ji emphasized that 'fun' is necessary for seniors to continue exercising consistently. He believed that no matter how professional an exercise program is, if it is not enjoyable, seniors' participation would decrease. Therefore, they make exercise feel like a game for seniors and use various methods such as playing lively music during exercise sessions. Ji said, "We aim for enjoyable exercise like play," and explained, "The service name NoriCare comes from 'nori,' meaning play."

He said, "Our goal is to make people think of NoriCare first when they think of 'senior exercise,'" and added, "Our goal to deliver our service to more seniors will remain unchanged this year and next year."

Jichangdae, CEO of LiveLively. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Below is a Q&A session.

- What is the purpose of exercise for the senior generation?

▲ Many young people exercise for beauty, but the purpose of exercise for seniors is to improve physical function. Our exercise program aims to enhance the lowered physical functions of the elderly to improve their quality of life. Exercise also helps prevent sarcopenia and musculoskeletal diseases. The body deteriorates faster the less it is used, so exercise is necessary to improve quality of life.

- What do you pay the most attention to when teaching exercise to seniors?

▲ Safety, fun, and social connection?these three are key. Especially social connection refers to connections between 'elderly and elderly' and 'elderly and youth.' Often, seniors exercise awkwardly next to each other. However, through gamification of training, we conduct exercise in a comfortable atmosphere, which connects seniors with each other. Also, seniors who need companionship can continuously communicate with young instructors, helping to solve loneliness.

- You also support non-face-to-face exercise programs for seniors. Are there any difficulties?

▲ Nowadays, many senior institutions actually prefer non-face-to-face over face-to-face. Many seniors have poor eyesight, so during face-to-face classes, they often cannot properly observe the instructor's posture. However, with non-face-to-face classes, instructors are enlarged on a big screen, making it easier to see the correct posture. Also, with the recent resurgence of COVID-19, many seniors prefer non-face-to-face classes. Real-time communication is possible, so feedback is quick.

- You provide various exercise content through the NoriCare app.

▲ Continuity is the essence of exercise. Many seniors expressed the desire to exercise even when the instructor is not present. We create video content that seniors can review and follow along with, and provide it through the NoriCare app. Currently, there are about 200 senior-exclusive contents, and we plan to keep uploading until there are more than 500. In the future, we want to create an 'Encyclopedia of Senior Exercise.'

- There are quite a few exercise videos for seniors on YouTube. What differentiates your service?

▲ YouTube mostly has videos for healthy seniors. However, we provide programs that are effective and safe even for unhealthy seniors. Especially, we have exercise programs tailored to specific diseases, making it more efficient. In fact, if seniors blindly follow YouTube videos, they are prone to injury. So, I often tell exercise instructors, 'If you cannot guide exercise accurately and properly, it is better not to do it at all.' Injuries from overexertion cause greater harm.

- You also operate the Korea Senior Sports Evaluation Association along with NoriCare.

▲ Many seniors do not know where or how to exercise. On the other hand, young people know how to exercise well, such as receiving PT at gyms or using YouTube. Despite this, there is no place that accurately prescribes what and how seniors should exercise. Especially, seniors usually have 3 to 4 chronic diseases, so many general trainers cannot properly guide them. Therefore, through the Korea Senior Sports Evaluation Association, we teach how to train seniors according to their diseases.