The women of Cagli are learning the importance of making exercise part of their daily routine.

Exercise trainers say that the number of women participating in physical activity has steadily risen over the past 10 years, and women now have a variety of opportunities and options for physical fitness.

Moreover, financial support from the European Union has made exercise programs more accessible to women, increasing the likelihood that fitness will be a permanent part of their lives.

Throughout the day in Cagli, woman of all ages take advantage of numerous opportunities to improve their health. Girls in tights and leotards stretch in their ballet class at the dance school in Cagli vechlio. Across town women take a spin class at the local gym, and that evening a group of women work on their breathing in yoga class.

Staff at Eden Gym said that staying physically fit has become extremely important for women in Cagli because of the images and programs they see on television. Jessica, an 18-year-old student, said that she works out at the gym because that’s what she heard that girls do in the United States.

“Exercise is an imported phenomenon,” said Beatrice Santini, fitness instructor at Eden Gym. “People have become very conditioned by TV and have started paying attention to physical appearance. Yet it is important to remember that good health is having a balance between physical and mental well-being.”

Eden Gym is one of the main places where women go in Cagli to work out. The modern gym has a variety of equipment, including the latest weight machines, bicycles and a treadmill. From its small dance studio, American pop music blares from one of the many cardio classes offered every afternoon. Aerobics, power pump, dance, spin, and step classes draw many women.

Differences in workout patterns distinguish the Cagliesi from others. Instead of seeing rows of cardio machines at the gym, there is only one treadmill at Eden. Women also say they never go jogging outside. The Cagliesi take their time getting from place to place, and it simply seems absurd to run along the street.

This is not a typical aerobics class: these women trade steps for free weights during a portion of the class.

“There has been an inverted trend in exercising over the past five years,” said Santini. “Before, women would be more into aerobics and cardio classes and men would lift weights. Now more women are requesting weights. They want to lose weight, build muscle and shape up faster.”

The gym has over 100 female members, which according to gym staff is quite large for a town with a population of roughly 10,000 people. Women who attend the gym average between 30 and 45 years old. Most of them are housewives who are able to make time in the middle of the day to go work out.

Santini indicated that fewer younger women use the gym as their main outlet for exercise. Most young adults participate in organized recreational activities instead of going to the gym to work out by themselves.

According to instructors, dance has become increasingly popular due to a new reality TV show, Amici. The show, based after the American show Fame, is a dance and singing contest. The show has encouraged more girls to take dance classes with the hopes of someday going on the show. Movimento e Fantasia, the only dance school in Cagli, has over 140 girls registered for classes ranging from 4 to 25 years of age.

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