Abstract
Fitness culture in Italy has been spreading since the 1980s as a technique for achieving a better physical form oriented to psycho-physical wellbeing and health. The discipline has developed as a universal model of the usefulness of bodies, becoming a sign of personal status, and spaces (gyms) where bodies are virtuously trained between commercial and hedonistic-health trends. A “wellness supermarket” is the prevalent image of gym, in which the customer–consumer can choose from a variety of services Fitness is the most practiced sport in Italy. In 2017, it counted on 10 billion euros turnover showing a significant growth of gyms (5,000), participants (5.3 million) and employees (85,000). The chapter gives an insight into how practices of fitness illustrate the link between active lifestyles and health and its transformation in an all-encompassing wellness-through-fitness business.
This paper is the result of a shared work among the authors. In particular A. Borgogni conceptualised the chapter, supervised the writing, authored the Introduction and the Conclusions; S. Digennaro wrote the paragraph on Materials and methods and on the Supply side; G. Russo authored the Theoretical and conceptual framework and the paragraph on Demand side. The authors jointly revised the drafts of the chapter.
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Notes
- 1.
P.A.P.I. stands for “Pencil and paper interview” and it is one of the techniques of collecting data in a social research. The interviewer proceeds by question after question according to the questionnaire and the respondent answers. The interviewer records the answers to the questionnaire. In order the answers are representative, the respondents should be selected as a random sample.
- 2.
That includes a lot of specialities: calisthenics, Pilates, Zumba, aerial silk…
- 3.
As crossfit, powerlifting, bodybuilding etc.
- 4.
For a better understanding of this phenomenon is useful to know that the recognition of the Degrees in Sport Sciences as full University Degrees was only achieved in 2000.
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Acknowledgements
We wish to thank Dr. Paolo Adami, President of the Federazione Italiana Aerobica e Fitness for the precious contribution and the information delivered during the interview.
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Borgogni, A., Digennaro, S., Russo, G. (2020). Fitness in Italy: Body Culture, Well-Being and Active Lifestyles. In: Scheerder, J., Vehmas, H., Helsen, K. (eds) The Rise and Size of the Fitness Industry in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53348-9_13
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