Two passengers at Seoul’s Incheon Airport have gone viral on Korean social media for playing tennis in the entrance to the terminal on Wednesday. They can be seen hitting a tennis ball back and forth to each other.
As they swung their tennis rackets and hit the ball, other passengers appeared visibly inconvenienced as they tried to avoid them.
One passerby hurried past with a frown. Despite this, the couple continued to play tennis undeterred.
A lot of folks just feel like there aren’t enough ways in airports to stay active. Airports are mini-cities, filled with all sorts of amenities (especially large international gateways where all terminals are connected). So why not gyms?
Why don't airports have gyms?
— Austin Rief ☕️ (@austin_rief) May 15, 2024
BWI Airport has a ROAM Fitness.
There are many hotels that are attached to airports, and often they have gyms. They’re usually landside, meaning if you’re connecting you’d have to leave security to go to the hotel and then re-clear security for your connecting flight. Some – like the Oryx Airport Hotel at Doha’s Hamad International Airport – are airside, no leaving security. It has a gym, swimming pool, and squash court, because it’s in Doha so of course it does.
The Ambassador Transit Lounge in Singapore has a gym. So does the G-Force Health Club in Dubai.
Ambassador Transit Lounge, Singapore Changi Airport
Airport lounges sometimes have fitness areas. For instance, the Capital One lounge in Dallas has Peleton bikes. American Airlines used to have treadmills in their Dallas – Fort Worth Admirals Club on the A concourse, but sadly this feature has been gone for half a dozen years.
Capital One Lounge DFW Airport
Some airports, like San Francisco, have yoga rooms. And let’s not forget that Indianapolis installed a full-length basketball court in advance of the All Star Game this year.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 14, 2024
These folks playing tennis had a number of other, better options. Seoul Incheon airport has Incheon Airport transit hotel in terminal 1 has a gym.
Not every airport has such robust options! But walking is great exercise. Why not take a walk around the terminal? The trend over the past couple of decades to eliminate storage for belongings in airports makes an unencumbered workout faster, but walking ‘with weights’ may be an even better workout!
I have flown through Seoul/Incheon for the past several years. It is not a bad airport. I suppose people playing tennis could be entertaining.