Megan Hanlon, Global Business Institute: Florence Spring 2024
There are many cultural differences between Italy and the United States. One major cultural shift was in fitness, health, and wellness. I have become very interested in strength training since going to college. This drove me to get a gym membership while in Italy. Entering a fitness space wound up being very different then back home. Strength-training is already a male-dominated activity, but Italy has much larger gaps. I was one of very few women in areas of the gym, with most women participating in yoga, cardio, and other workout classes in a separate area of the gym. This caused me to feel a sense of imposter syndrome, and lose some confidence in the gym. However, after learning more, it made me appreciate the different ways people workout in different cultures. In Florence, daily life is filled with more walking, biking, and running.
In my psychology course, Cross-Cultural Psychology, we learned of “bella figura.” The cultural phenomenon of making a lasting and positive impression causes Italians to place greater emphasis on physical appearance. This connects to health and wellness, with Italians striving to work towards an outer appearance. In my class my professor addressed the health and wellness culture in Italy, recalling that many women refrain from strength-training due to fears of appearing too “masculine.” This caused me to take a step back and reflect on my drives to enter the gym. My love for the gym grew over time; however, it was rooted in insecurity from a young age. Many young women and girls are told that they must look a certain way, diet a certain way, and exercise a certain way. I began to fall in love with the power being in shape gave me, and have gone from viewing the gym as a way to change my body, but as a place to grow into my best self. The gym allows you to be able to be strong, confident, and grow endurance. Taking up space in a gym can be daunting, and it took many years for me to get to the point I am. Coming to Italy, I refaced some of those obstacles I faced early in college, and I was able to immerse myself in a different space in Italy. By reflecting on fitness in general, I was able to enjoy a new space much greater.
Now a part of travel is experiencing the “gym culture” in new places. I looked and continue to look forward to seeing how different cultures value health and wellness, and the different fitness scenes across cities. In London, I saw a huge visible culture, with a rich number of fitness events, gyms, classes, as well as gym clothing retailers. I was able to travel to Gymshark, a company I have learned to love. In Switzerland, the activities surround the terrain, with skiing, hiking, and other outdoor recreation being a part of everyday life. Families would gather around the train, setting out to go skiing for the day. I also saw older couples that were still hitting the slopes at an older age. It was a wonderful experience to get to compare health and wellness across cultures.
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