I took a two week vacation and didn't want to interrupt my fitness program, especially while eating Korean food and drinking every night.
I was staying at hostels with little room to do push-ups and crunches on the ground and also didn't want to disturb others. For my long-distance running I could find a park, or circle a block with few crosswalks.*
The main problem was the weightlifting. So I had to find a gym.
I knew some gyms would do day passes. Even though they're not cheap, and sometimes unreasonably priced, it was still worth it to not miss out on my training, keep the gains going, and not go backwards.
In Seoul it was pretty easy. I looked on Google Maps and Naver to look at the pictures and reviews. It was confusing because a lot of names were solely in Korean and they all kept saying 1:1 or PT, which made me think they were only offering personal training and not a gym you could workout in on your own. Also, gyms were always on the floor of some building, so you had to look at your location and then look for the signs along the side of the building for the gym name, which could be in Korean, so you gotta test your pattern-matching skills.
The one I found on the first try actually was great. It was small and cozy but had everything I needed. They were playing K-Pop music videos on small TVs around the place, and had a water machine with paper cups, and instant coffee. It was 10,000 KRW, or about $7. Good price, great workout. I was happy.
In Busan it was a different story. I stayed in Haeundae Beach and walked away from the tourist street and started stopping by places one by one, all to no success. The first "gym" which looked great on Google, ended up being abandoned:
The next one was open but had no one working there! The lights and fans were on, and I felt like I could've just used it on my own for free and left with no problem. I started using Google Lens on the signs at the front desk to translate and read that if no one is here, call this number. Well, my SIM card didn't give me a phone number, so so much for that. Back on the road.
After a boxing gym and then a crossfit gym, I had spent over an hour walking in circles to no avail. Then I decided to try one more spot that was located within a spa.
I took the elevator to the floor everyone else was headed to and went to the front desk of a fancy spa place. I pointed to the picture on Google Maps and the lady directed me to the other floor. When I got there I had finally found a gym I wanted, with people working, and it was huge. Success!
I walked through the automatic doors and saw the man in front take off his shoes before going in. I did the same and grabbed a random pair of slippers. I walked to the front desk lady and told her I wanted a day pass. She asked me to hold on, walked away, and then had her phone ready to translate.
Apparently, if you wanted to work out here, you had to have a clean pair of shoes. Like brand new shoes! Just for this place. All I had was what I was wearing, and I wasn't gonna go guy a pair, so no.
So close, yet so far. I was ready to give up and call it a day. I at least got my steps in and could say I tried my best. But on the way back I thought I would try that one place one more time, the one which had no one working...
I walked in and this time someone was on the treadmill. I walked further in and looked around, looking confused, and the guy walking said something and pointed to another door. Someone heard and came out, and ran to the front to assist me. I got a day pass for 12,000 KRW ($8.66) and finally, thankfully got my work out in. Persistance pays off.
My last day before my flight back in Seoul I wanted to get one more lift in, so I found a place with good reviews in Itaewon where I was staying. I went to go pay... 22,000. Woah! Almost $16, just for a day. That's like half a month's membership. But I sucked it up and paid instead of going out and shopping around again. As expensive as it was compared to the other places I had been, the price was still worth it. The price for health, and staying committed to my goals. It's an investment.
Going through all this made me proud of my effort to maintain consistency while on the road. It was also an adventure in itself, and I got to see an aspect of local culture.
If you go on a trip for more than a week or so, don't let it be an excuse. Go find a gym, pay for the day pass, and make it happen.
Good luck!
* I actually got screwed with lots of red lights on a busy Seoul evening and ended up bouncing like I was jump-roping, sometimes for minutes.
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