Connected Care Blog | Dr Irwin Lim | Arthritis Care

Errol's Health Update

Written by Dr Irwin Lim | 04-Sep-2011 21:39:31

By Errol Lim, physiotherapist

It has been nearly 2 months since the last blog from Korea. I have just returned from the 26th Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China. It will take another blog to report in detail my experiences whilst working as a physiotherapist for the Australian team.

Whilst in Korea recently, a daily exercise regime and a concerted effort not to over eat and to watch what I ate allowed me to nullify any potential weight gain.

I said I would post some pics of where I exercised so here they are:

My nephew’s school grounds made for a great running track and with the sun rising early, the locals were out and about at 6am. It was pleasing to see so many people exercising regularly, typically in the older age group. This could be one of the reasons why I don’t see as many obese or overweight people on the streets of Seoul as I do back in Sydney.

Another reason is Koreans are very health conscious. I may disagree with many of their Asian medicine persuasions but on the whole they believe in healthy eating. Their diet consists mainly of vegetables with some meat or fish and the staple of rice. They tend not to eat desserts nor do they care for sweet treats or overly salty snacks. Typically, they start their day with a substantial breakfast of rice, soup and perhaps some side dishes. Something we don’t really do in the Western world.

There is much we can learn from how the Koreans live despite the hustle and bustle of Seoul life. They eat well, I don’t see them starve themselves if not they seem to overeat but yet they manage to keep their weight in check.

It can’t just be their metabolism, can it?

Errol Lim is a physiotherapist and a director of BJC Health.

BJC Health provides a connected care multidisciplinary team philosophy to deliver positive lifestyle outcomes through a holistic approach to those with degenerative & inflammatory arthritis, tendon injury and lifestyle diseases. Our clinics are located in Parramatta, Chatswood and Brookvale. Contact us.

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