Bangwha-dong seniors turn to health groups

The Bangwha Health Center (162 Geumnanghwa-ro) in Seoul's Gangseo-gu is drawing a strong response for its resident health groups — nicknamed "Unchin" (exercise friends), "Tteuchin" (knitting friends) and "Pilchin" (copying friends) — set up to help seniors manage their own health.

The "resident health group" program moves away from one-way, lecture-style education. Instead, it brings together residents aged 65 and older to enjoy exercise and hobby activities as they build healthy lifestyle habits on their own, in a self-help format.

The health center currently runs three such groups — Unchin (exercise friends), Tteuchin (knitting friends) and Pilchin (copying friends) — with the programs diversified to comprehensively manage everything from maintaining physical function to emotional stability.

Unchin uses calisthenics, strength training and cognitive exercises to support physical health and prevent dementia, systematically tracking participants' health through skeletal muscle and cognitive assessments.

Tteuchin is a knitting group that meets on the first and third Monday of each month. The fine hand movements involved in knitting help improve cognitive function, and the center plans to hold an exhibition in December showcasing winter-themed pieces the seniors have carefully crafted.

Pilchin, newly launched this September, is a cognitive health program in which participants copy out well-known passages from classic literature selected by a reading psychology counselor. The program aims to promote emotional stability. It runs every Friday throughout September, excluding the 'chuseok' holiday (Korea's harvest festival).

Unchin and Tteuchin, the program's flagship groups, had held a combined 36 sessions with a cumulative 585 participants as of the end of August this year, establishing themselves as a go-to gathering place for seniors' health.

The Bangwha Health Center has also consistently run other health programs tailored to seniors, including a longevity school, a mental health class and a fall-prevention class. It plans to continue providing systematic support so residents can manage their own health as part of daily life.

"The resident health group is a meaningful self-help activity where seniors build health together with their neighbors and gain vitality for life," District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon said. "We will continue to actively support resident-centered health programs so that seniors can enjoy a healthy and vibrant later life."