Italian Language Brian Alcamo Italian Language Brian Alcamo

Wellness Tips in Italiano

Learn Italian while taking care of your physical and emotional well-being.

by Brian Alcamo

Oddio! These past few weeks have been shocking to everyone. Thanks to a certain virus, many of us are stuck at home trying to flatten a certain curve. Staying home might not seem conducive to practicing a language or maintaining your well-being, but we promise it is. Learning Italian, or any language, is one of the best ways to stay sharp and give your brain a workout. But what about your body and soul? Try combining a linguistic challenge with some exercise or a mindfulness practice to spice up your language learning and your pursuit of wellness. Here are some of our favorite online resources to get you started!

Physical Wellbeing takes a two-pronged approach. The first is healthy eating, which is a topic so large that we don’t have the time to cover it in this post (keep your eyes on the JP Linguistics blog for that one!) The second is exercise.

Exercise: If you’re looking for a workout video in Italian, you’re in luck! It turns out that Italians exercise just like you and me, and they have the twenty minute Zumba promotional trial workout to prove it. There’s also FixFit, a mobile application and YouTube channel with over 1,000 workout tutorials to choose from. If Instagram is more your speed, feel free to give Paolo Fontana a follow. He’s a trainer at Barry’s Milan, and has an Instagram Story Highlight called “Quarantine 🔥” with an at home workout in Italian. Train your glutes and your imperative conjugations tutti insieme! 

Here are a few vocabulary words to get you started. 

  • Allenamento = workout

  • Riscaldamento = warm up

  • Rilassarsi = to cool down 

  • Sudare = to sweat

  • Allungare = to stretch

Emotional Wellbeing: One of my favorite techniques to better my emotional wellbeing is a good ole mindfulness meditation practice. Popularized by apps like Calm and Headspace, this is a great way to learn how to work with the ebbs and flows of your personal emotional tapestry, during or not during a global pandemic. 

If you want to learn a little bit more about meditation in general, check out YouTuber’s Marcello Ascani’s meditation journey, or Alice LifeStyle’s “Iniziare a Meditare”, (and her comprehensive accompanying blog post, for people who prefer to read their Italian). In addition, here’s Dr. Filippo Ongaro's take on why meditation is fundamental to personal growth. His channel is filled with videos that span the spectrum of wellness education, so check it out for other types of content not related to meditation.

Here are some important words to get your meditazione italiana up and running down and sitting.

  • meditazione guidata - guided meditation

  • inspirare* = to breathe in

  • espirare* = to breathe out 

  • respiro* = (n. m) breath

  • lasciare = to let (since you’ll be letting a lot of thoughts drift away!)

*Lingo Lookout: You’ll notice the root “spir” in a lot of words that have to do with meditation. That’s because “spir” is the Latin root for “breath,” and meditation is all about the breath. In English, you can find the root in words such as “spirit,” “conspire,” and “aspire.” 

The internet is filled to the brim with videos geared towards helping you get and stay as fit as you can be. Coupled with the allenamento mentale of practicing your Italian listening skills will help keep you motivated educationally and energetically. We at JP Linguistics also want to take the time to send love to everyone who’s battling the coronavirus, and say a big grazie mille to healthcare professionals across the globe.

Practice these words with our quizlet set.

(Thumbnail Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash)

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3 Italian Menswear Brands You Should Know

Boost up the sophistication of your wardrobe with these three Italian fashion brands - for casual & formal attire.

3 Italian Menswear Brands You Should Know

Italian fashion has been at the forefront of emerging talent and trends since the beginning. The luxury house staples still firmly hold their place, while other brands ranging from athletic-inspired to tailored-cut all play an important part in a man's wardrobe. Some brands focus on the staples, while others play up the trends to stay ahead. Here are 3 Italian Menswear Brands You Should Know right now to help boost up the sophistication of your wardrobe. We hope you enjoy!

Italian fashion male models

MISSONI

This brand embodies the spirit of the sixties having been founded by Ottavio and Rosita (business & life partners) who started Missoni in 1953. Based in Varese, 55 kilometers north of Milan, the classic zig zag knitwear is globally recognized and is now a forever trend staple. The family-run company keeps up its success by adding more channels, i.e. Missoni Home, as well as adapting to what the customer wants. The big focus for their menswear is the statement shirt; whether that be classic T style or a patchwork button down. A favorite touch to any outfit is the secret of the socks, and you can be assured they don't slack on accessories either.

Learn more and see new arrivals on their website www.missoni.com.
(All images credits: www.missoni.com)


Diesel

Yes, you did read this correctly, Diesel is not that laid back California brand you though you knew. Headquartered in Breganze, Italy, Diesel's Founder, Ross Rozzo, originally started working for a manufacturer called Moltex. After two short years at the company, Rozzo bought 40% of their stock which eventually changed its brand name to Diesel. In 1985, Rozz purchased the remaining portions of stock to become the sole owner of the brand. His vision for this worldwide fashion house has been to embody the laid back California lifestyle through their creative department since 1978. Denim and casual-wear are their strong-suits, fit for the modern man. While jeans come to mind first, this brand excels in wardrobe pieces fit for all occasions; casual, night out and even work wear.

Learn more and see new arrivals on their website www.diesel.com.
(All images credits: www.diesel.com)


Lubiam

This company cares fondly about tradition which can be seen in the craftsmanship and design of all their garments. Founder, Luigi Bianchi Mantova, set up Primaria Sartoria Luigi Bianchi in 1911 with the aim of designing premium menswear suits and women's dresses. He was the first to start a global brand that would eventually pass through four generations. In 1920, the company abandoned womenswear to focus solely on tailoring mens goods. This passion lead to a scale of over 400 employees in 1936. The name LUBIAM was created as an acronym of the founders full name Luigi Bianchi Mantova. Their keen eye for details and tradition doesn't just lie in the cut of their fabric, it runs through their family-friendly ethics. They gladly provide flexible work hours and part-time options for their employees and have even opened up nursery for workers with families.

“We truly believe in family values,” states Edgardo Bianchi, Managing Director of LUBIAM, “this is why we want togive our employees substantial support in their everyday lives. We believe in solidarity and we hope to be an example to other firms similar to ours.”

Learn more and see new arrivals on their website www.lubiam.it.
(All images credits: www.lubiam.it)


Did you like what you read? Let us know! Comment below with your favorite Italian brand and share the post on social media. These 3 Italian Menswear Brands You Should Know are at the top of our shopping lists and, looking the part, is one step closer to embodying the Italian lifestyle. Why not add more and embody the language as well? Check out our Group Italian Classes and Private Italian Lessons and sign up today. Grazie!

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