[One Day Ten Thousand Steps] Cancer Patient Increasing Step Count "Pain Disappeared and Mind Became Calm"

Cancer patient Mr. A takes 4,000 steps daily following recommendations from a health management app. Wearing a smartwatch on his wrist, the app measures his daily step count, walking speed, and distance to calculate a ‘walking score.’ Mr. A’s primary doctor advised, "Because cancer patients naturally reduce their physical activity due to cancer resection surgery, leading to decreased muscle strength and cardiopulmonary function, walking is very important." Mr. A accumulates steps throughout daily life, such as stopping by the nearby market or sorting recyclables. Initially, the app recommended 2,000 steps based on Mr. A’s age and physical ability. As his adherence improved, the target gradually increased to 4,000 steps. The app informs him that his walking score of 130 points is significantly higher than the average for his age group. Mr. A said, "Thanks to the app that checks my steps daily and provides guidance, my pain has greatly diminished, and my emotional well-being has improved."

The health management app Mr. A uses is ‘Lodi,’ launched in the second half of last year. It measures three indicators: walking, sleep, and body composition, helping users develop healthy habits. The app has been downloaded 80,000 times, with over 40,000 registered users. Numerous studies have proven that walking can prevent many diseases. According to a research team at the University of Alabama, elderly people in their 70s who walk 500 more steps daily have a 14% lower risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.

The Lodi app was conceptualized by GIvita CEO Gil-Yeon Lee (56), a surgeon. With aging populations, South Korea is experiencing an increase in absolute age alongside a rise in chronic disease patients visiting hospitals complaining of pain. Additionally, Westernized eating habits have led to more obesity patients, resulting in the emergence of ‘pediatric obese diabetic patients,’ a relatively unfamiliar group in the medical field. CEO Lee said, "Extending healthy life expectancy leads to a true improvement in quality of life and reduces the costs borne by society and families." He wanted to move beyond the traditional ‘doctor-patient’ relationship, which only begins after illness occurs, and actively engage in disease prevention. He explained, "Doctors provide medical care such as diagnosis, surgery, and follow-up tests after a disease has developed. I wondered if there was a way to prevent diseases from appearing and to avoid recurrence of complications, which led me to develop an app that can predict health probabilities."

"Walking is the ‘Safest Exercise’"

CEO Lee views walking as a measure of physical ability because it is "the safest exercise that can be done anywhere, indoors or outdoors, without restrictions." He walks 7,000 steps daily. Originally, he walked 4,000 steps, but the app rated his walking ability highly, increasing his target by 3,000 steps. So far, he has walked 4,000 km?the equivalent of traveling between Seoul and Busan ten times. While maintaining appropriate muscle mass, he lost 10 kg in weight. "Due to the nature of my job, I used to have many busy days and didn’t like walking. But by using the app daily, I practiced walking out of obligation, which eventually became a habit. I often use public transportation like subways and buses for commuting. People I see every day don’t notice, but patients I haven’t seen in a while ask why I’ve become so slim. Gradual weight loss is the real success of dieting."

He advises that there is no need to force oneself to walk far. To establish good habits, there should be no resistance, and the biggest resistance to walking is distance. CEO Lee said, "Choosing a walking location by taking a bus every day is the same as not doing it. You should start walking in places near you. If you walk fast, you can reach 4,000 steps in 30 minutes."

CEO Lee’s goal is for Lodi to evolve into a ‘digital therapeutic.’ Following the launch last month of Korea’s first digital therapeutic for insomnia, the government’s goal to grow the digital healthcare industry is encouraging for him. Specifically, he plans to develop management programs to prevent cancer recurrence. He said, "I will continue to work until Korea develops not only as a country excelling in surgical treatment but also as a healthy nation where citizens improve their lifestyles."