For the first time hosted in an open-air accommodation facility, ANTS is a unique and exclusive method designed by Human Company in collaboration with Daniele Tognaccini, athletic trainer and founder of Milan Lab, the AC Milan interdisciplinary high tech centre.
Man and nature, an enduring alliance. This is the cornerstone of a holiday with Human Company, Italy's leading outdoor tourism group based in Florence, which bases its philosophy on making the most of sustainable, informal living in contact with nature and with human companions, in the pursuit of all-round well-being. Indeed, the Group's mission is to provide the guests of its facilities with a travel, tourism and relaxation experience that is perfectly in line with their needs and expectations of comfort, well-being, space, care, attention, rest and sustainability.
Together with the continuous growth of wellness-oriented tourism, this is the driving principle that inspired the development of ANTS, a unique and innovative project, the first village inside a village, dedicated to feeling good and in harmony with oneself. ANTS, an acronym for Activity Nature Training Sense, is a method designed by Human Company in collaboration with Daniele Tognaccini, that aims to awaken people's awareness of well-being through a programme of activities, sensory experiences and training aimed at conserving neuroplasticity. Brain plasticity is a peculiar feature of the brain that enables it to change structurally and functionally according to necessity. This property is fundamental for the body's ability to learn and retain memory, as well as brain development and regeneration. Contrary to what has always been thought, the latest scientific studies show that this property is not lost due to advancing age but due to the simple lack of the "right" stimuli.
ANTS finds its ultimate applicative expression in natural surroundings. Indeed, to stimulate the brain correctly, all ANTS activities are performed in the open air. Contact with nature aids the absorption of positive stimuli in a more powerful manner compared to all sorts of activities performed in the "closed" environments in which human beings are obliged to live every day. Nature is unpredictable and thus it forces the brain and the body to be adaptable and flexible, remaining plastic or returning to a state of plasticity; in a nutshell – staying young!
It is in the natural context of the Norcenni Girasole Village that the ANTS project will make its official debut this year. The Village, one of the first structures opened by the Group, is a perfect refuge for those seeking a holiday that celebrates freedom and nature. Nestled in the Chianti hills and an ideal base for visiting one of the most beautiful corners of Tuscany, the Norcenni Girasole Village embodies a perfect blend of sport and relaxation.
ANTS is suitable for everyone and is available both to the guests of the village and to those interested in enjoying a new and innovative experience.
Participating in the ANTS project means being able to access a dedicated area where you can experience and understand new strategies for maintaining a high level of well-being. By attending the ANTS Day, you can participate in an "experiential" training day in which you can become familiar with the ANTS philosophy, thanks to dedicated staff. The programme begins within the ANTS Lab, a workshop where the subject is profiled by means of three fundamental tests: the Sense test, which uses a specific program to analyse the degree of elasticity of the senses, the Balance Test which, thanks to an intelligent platform capable of reproducing and generating sudden disturbances during motor gestures, analyses the person's degree of balance, and, finally, the Reaction Test, in which the subject is called on to react as quickly as possible, using first hands and then feet, to switch off specific lights that turn on in random order.
The three tests yield values that define the level of ability achieved in each of the sensory, balance and reaction functions. By analysing these results, a specific activity and training programme is then set up to stimulate the senses in contact with nature inside and outside the village: from beach volleyball to beach tennis, from running on various types of terrain to electric bikes and training with special facilities – and much more. All of this is combined with a customised, healthy, balanced diet, developed by the ANTS nutritionists.