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Are we interested in having a slender body and being healthy? Or vanity will make us give prominence to the first one? Summer is in full swing and the beaches are full of naked bodies. Each one has different appearance. Swimsuits mercilessly reveal the secrets of bellies, thighs, hips and shoulders skillfully hidden in winter. Now is the season to see how many hours people spent in the fitness club for the rest of the year. And what it really means to feel good in your own skin ...

Fotis Mihalakis is the owner of the Athlomania fitness club in the Athens neighbourhood Zografu. We talked about the sporting habits of the modern Greeks and how much time for physical exercises, even in the neighbourhood fitness clubs, they find today.  

GRREPORTER: What are the sporting habits of modern Greeks?

Fotis Mihalakis: Today's Greeks have no sports culture. To be more clear, let me tell you that the statistics shows that only 2% -3% of Greeks are engaged systematically in sports. Systematically means to go in for sports 2-3 times per week for at least eight months a year. Having said that we do not have a sports culture I mean that we mainly associate sports with the idea of a nice body. And we should do it to be healthy. Greece is really behind in this field ... Moreover, the Greek prefers to eat several skewers instead of going to the gym. Imagine also that there are only 4 or 5 fitness clubs to date in the densely populated area such as the student district of Zografu. This number is really very small. And about 300,000 people are living in the district…

GRREPORTER: But going to the gym, however, became popular lately ...

Fotis Mihalakis: Yes, it is true. Things, however, are not as they were years ago. The situation is getting better.

GRREPORTER: Doesn’t the tendency to maintain a good figure affect how often we go in for  sports?  

Fotis Mihalakis: Yeah, but like I said, Greece is quite behind. The trend you are talking about occurs mainly after Christmas and lasts until early June. But it is more associated with the desire to get rid of the overweight for the summer.

GRREPORTER: Do men or women go more frequently to the gym?  

Fotis Mihalakis: This depends on many things. Things are almost equal in our club. The club has existed for eight years. I would say that women are making other exercises. They prefer to attend a dance school, deal with yoga, Pilates and similar things. While men go in for sports in fitness clubs, they do weightlifting or go to the swimming pool. And our program is mixed accordingly. We offer Swedish gymnastics, Pilates, mediterranean, all body, tae bo, step, body power, aerobic, fight-bo.

GRREPORTER: Greeks of what age groups attend fitness clubs most?  

Fotis Mihalakis: Many students come here. In my experience people at the age of 32-35 go to the other fitness clubs in Athens. Then there is a pause. They come back after the age of 45 when the doctor sent them to us... But they really do not come after 35 years of age. Women generally marry after this age, bear children and have no time for the gym. Men, however, spend many hours at work.