[One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day Thousand Characters] Walking and Writing Master "These Days, I'm Deeply Into Plant Guides"

Seon Juseong, CEO of Sports IT Korea
"Early Signs of Dementia Can Be Detected Through Walking"
"'Habit' Is More Important Than Worrying About 10,000 or 1,000 Steps"

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] "Physical activity in daily life, symbolized by walking 10,000 steps a day, is the easiest brain health exercise to practice. The habit of handwriting, symbolized by writing 1,000 characters a day, also greatly helps activate brain nerve cells."

Seon Juseong, CEO of Sports IT Korea, has emphasized the importance of walking through initiatives like 'Korean-style power walking.' He showed his role as a 'walking evangelist,' saying that through walking, one can start taking care of physical health, brain health, and mental health.

He explained, "In typical meditation, you are told to be aware of the airflow when inhaling and exhaling, right? Similarly, when walking, if you pay attention to each foot and hand movement, there comes a moment when you break free from the boundaries of your body and become free from movement." This walking method also helps in the early detection of dementia. When brain functions such as dementia deteriorate, walking speed and gait change. By consistently walking every day and managing walking speed and habits in daily life, one can easily understand their brain condition.

The walking method recommended by CEO Seon is to find routes nearby. He said he chooses 5 to 6 courses around his residence, such as parks, mountains, and riversides, and varies them slightly depending on the situation and date. "This way, you can avoid boredom from a fixed routine," he emphasized. He also recommended enjoying walks with a pet dog. CEO Seon shared that he often gains strength by walking together with his pet dog, Yuki.

When he has leisure time like on weekends, he sometimes walks for 2 to 3 hours along famous spots such as the Hanyangdoseong Fortress Trail, Bukchon, Seochon, and Cheonggyecheon. CEO Seon advised, "Following popular courses can be enjoyable, but creating your own route by looking at maps is also fun. Sometimes, I recommend walking without a plan, following where your body and heart lead."

Seon Ju-seong, CEO of Sports IT, is walking with his pet dog Yuki along Wangsucheon Stream and the Han River area in Namyangju City. Yuki is always a walking companion with Seon Ju-seong.
[Photo by CEO Seon Ju-seong]

CEO Seon became interested in brain health prevention because of his mother. Having closely watched his mother suffer from dementia, he described dementia as "a disease that causes one to lose the dignity of their own life and makes the surrounding family members very distressed," and said, "I pay a lot of attention to dementia prevention." This is why he devotes himself not only to walking but also to handwriting. Every morning upon waking, he starts writing by hand. He emphasized, "To prevent dementia, brain cells and nerves must be stimulated and actively maintained. Handwriting, along with drawing and crafts, is a representative method of activation."

Above all, CEO Seon stressed that 'pace control' is necessary to continue walking 10,000 steps and writing 1,000 characters daily. Rather than overexerting oneself by being fixated on the numbers '10,000 steps' and '1,000 characters,' it is more important to create a daily routine even if slightly under the target. He said, "To walk more, you need to increase your 'psychological walking distance.' Naturally, you must gradually expand the psychological distance you consider as the distance to walk or can walk." Regarding writing, he also emphasized, "1,000 characters a day is a symbolic number. It is important to write a regular amount consistently without being obsessed with the number."

Recently, CEO Seon has been deeply engaged with a plant encyclopedia as his handwriting practice material. His interest grew from the diverse plant stories he listens to while walking with colleagues regularly, and he has recently found great joy in growing plants in his garden. He said, "The best handwriting text is content that interests you. Since I want to know a lot about trees, I am transcribing a book I have kept close and read often for a long time." Besides this, he also uses walking essays and poetry he enjoys reading as main handwriting materials. CEO Seon added, "If you like writing, I recommend novels or essays by your favorite authors; if you are religious, religious scriptures; and if you want to study writing, newspaper columns are highly recommended."