Even during the Chuseok holidays, many people maintained their step counts.
Among 711 users of the health management app CashWalk, 86.8% said they would manage their step counts even during the holidays.
Walking is the most popular lifestyle sport chosen by the public, yet a recently published book by an expert argues that walking alone is not enough. Why?
3-Line Summary
1. Walking participation rates have risen more than 10% over 10 years
2. 40% of lifestyle sports participants chose walking, while 8% chose running
3. Experts note that fast and intense movements must also be incorporated
Walking Participation Rates Up 10% Over 10 Years
Walking is not a sudden trend but a habit built over time. According to the "2025 Community Health Survey" released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency this year, the median walking participation rate across cities, counties, and districts nationwide was 49.2%. While this was 0.5% lower than the previous year's 49.7%, it is 10.5% higher compared to 38.7% in 2016. The walking participation rate mentioned here refers to the proportion of people who have walked for more than 10 minutes at a time, a total of 30 minutes or more per day, at least 5 days a week during the past week.
The position of walking becomes even clearer in the "2025 National Lifestyle Sports Survey" released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in January. The proportion of people who participate in lifestyle sports regularly, at least once a week for more than 30 minutes at a time, rose to 62.9%, up 2.2% from the previous year. Among these activities, walking was the most popular at 40.5%, followed by running at 7.7%. While the share of running increased noticeably from 4.8% the previous year, the gap with walking remains substantial.
Walking Habits Sustained Even During Chuseok
In a "2026 Chuseok Holiday Health Management Survey" conducted by Nudge Healthcare among 711 users of the health management app CashWalk from September 1–10, 86.8% of respondents said they planned to manage their step counts even during the holidays. The most common response was "I will maintain similar to usual" at 44.2%, followed by "I will manage even if less than usual" at 23.2%, and "I will try to walk more than usual" at 19.4%. Only 13.1% answered "I won't pay special attention to it."
The tendency to maintain habits during holidays was more pronounced among those with higher baseline activity levels. Of users who walk more than 7000 steps daily, 91.4% said they would manage their step counts during the holidays, while only 72.1% of users with fewer than 5000 daily steps responded similarly. Regarding planned activities during the holidays, leisurely walks were most common at 61.0%, followed by walking during travel or outings at 27.8%, grave maintenance and autumn weeding at 18.0%, and running or jogging at 14.6%. 58.1% of respondents said they would resume exercising immediately after the holidays end, and 72.0% planned to do so within three days.
Walking Alone Is Not Enough, Experts Say
A book published around the same time highlights the limitations of walking. Sports medicine expert Professor Hong Jung-gi explains in his new book *Hong Jung-gi's Longevity Muscle Revolution* that as people age, speed, power, and coordination abilities may decline even before muscle mass decreases. At the center of this is the "fast-twitch muscle," which contracts rapidly and exerts sudden force. These muscles are mainly used in situations requiring instantaneous strength, such as catching balance when slipping or climbing stairs. According to the book, fast-twitch muscle can decrease by approximately 50% from the 30s to the 80s.
Professor Hong states that aerobic exercise alone, such as walking, is insufficient to adequately stimulate fast-twitch muscle. While long-distance walking helps maintain endurance, maintaining the ability to exert quick and powerful force requires exercise at increased speed and intensity. The principle he proposes is "short, fast, and strong," with squats as the representative exercise. The book introduces 12 variations of squats with different foot positions, directions, speed, and intensity, along with a 4-stage exercise routine performed for 3 minutes daily. The book's central premise is that the standard for healthy longevity should not be simply living long, but rather achieving "functional longevity"—the ability to walk, stand up, and perform desired activities independently even as one ages.
Walking remains the most accessible exercise and a habit actually practiced by the majority of the population. However, this explanation points out that as people age, simply increasing walking time is insufficient to address certain aspects of health and fitness.
References
Tags #walking #walkingexercise #walkingparticipationrate #lifestylesports #nationallifestylesportssurvey #cashwalk #chuseokwalking #stepcount #fasttwitch #longevitymuscle #hongjunggi #strengthtraining #squats #healthmanagement #walkinghabit