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Fitness in the Historic Florentine Central Market

Florence.

If you put a bubble over the whole city it would be a giant museum. Innumerable stories have been written about this place and so much of the world’s history has actually been made here. The people take great
care if this beautiful place, so, when I had the pleasure of an extended stay last March, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they are also taking care of their personal health and mental well-being by practicing basic fitness at work!

The not-huge-tourist-attraction (if anything in Florence can actually be called that anymore), Mercato Centrale, is housed in a large building at the center of the San Lorenzo market- a favorite tourist shopping area. Most mornings, I would walk to get a cup of coffee and shop for the day’s wonderful fresh produce. One morning, as I was leaving this building to head back to our rental apartment, and I spotted it. The morning workout of the grocers and other employees.

The text reads:

Ginnastica Dolce Riequilibrante

Basata sul rilassamento e la presa di coscienza del corpo, consiste in movimenti semplici, accompagnati dalla respirazione, che mirano a restituire ai tessuti muscolari tonicita e al contempo elasticita e alla struttura ossea l’originaria mobilita e il giusto allineamento posturale. Insegna a non eseguire i movimento dall’interno imparando a rispettare il proprio corpo per riportarlo a ritrovare il suo equilibrio energetico e la sua naturale vitalita.
E quindi non solo un valido aiuto per i classici “mal di schiena” o artrosi cervicali o altri specifici problemi fisici o un metodo anti-stress per favorire il sonno, ma anche una via di accesso a quello “stato di grazia” di integrazione fra il corpo, la mente e lo spirito che ci fa riscoprire l’amore per se stessi e il piacere di “vivere” il proprio corpo.

The English Translation:

Gentle Rebalancing Exercise

Based on relaxation and awareness of the body, it consists of simple movements, accompanied by breathing, which aim to give back to the muscle tissues and tonicity, while elasticity and bone structure of the original mobility and proper postural alignment. It teaches us not to perform the movement from learning, to respect your body, to return it to its energy balance and its natural vitality.
And, not just a valuable aid to the classic back pain or cervical osteoarthritis, or other specific physical problems, or an anti-stress way to promote sleep, but also a gateway to the “state of grace” of integration between the body, mind and spirit that makes us rediscover the love for yourself and the pleasure of living in our own bodies.

The pictured stretches are nothing fancy or new. But they act as a gentle reminder that every body needs to be taken care of; standing all day will take a toll on your body and mind, and bringing the focus back to your personal health is not only good for your well-being, but also a huge aide to your business’s productivity and ultimate success.

not just a valuable aid to the classic back pain… but also a gateway to the “state of grace” of integration between the body, mind and spirit that makes us rediscover the love for yourself and the pleasure of “living” in our own bodies.

As we say at JōbuFIT:

Be FIT. Be Productive. Be Jōbu. And, today, Be Forte.