Learn Hardcore Italian: Io, invece, tengo il polso rilassato per non stancarmi subito. - I, on the other hand, keep my wrist relaxed so as not to get tired quickly.

In Italian the subject pronoun is usually optional because the verb ending (here -o in tengo) already shows first person singular. When you see Io placed at the start—and set off by commas—it’s there for emphasis or contrast (e.g. “I, on the other hand, keep my wrist relaxed…”). It highlights the speaker as distinct from others.

What does invece mean, and why is it used here?

Invece means “instead,” “rather,” or “on the other hand.” It introduces a contrast between what the speaker does and what someone else might do. In this sentence it signals: “While others do X, instead I do Y.” Its typical position is right after the subject (or at the very beginning) to highlight that contrast.

Why is tengo used instead of mantengo or another verb?

Both tenere and mantenere can translate as “to keep,” but:

Tenere is more common in everyday, spoken Italian.
Mantenere feels a bit more formal or abstract.
Here, talking about a physical action (keeping your wrist relaxed), tenere is the natural choice.

Why is rilassato used here? Isn’t that a past participle?

Yes, rilassato is the past participle of rilassare, but it’s functioning as an adjective describing the state of the wrist. Because polso is masculine singular, the adjective stays in its masculine singular form: rilassato.

How does per non stancarmi subito express purpose or avoidance?

Per
- non
  - infinitive = “in order not to…”
Stancarmi = “to tire myself,” reflexive form of stancare.
Subito = “immediately,” “right away.”
So per non stancarmi subito means “so as not to get tired right away,” expressing the reason or purpose behind keeping the wrist relaxed.

Why is stancarmi reflexive, and why is mi attached to the infinitive?

The verb stancarsi means “to get tired” or “to tire oneself.” In Italian, when you use a reflexive verb in the infinitive, the reflexive pronoun attaches at the end of that infinitive, hence stancarmi (and not mi stancare in this per-construction).

What’s the role of the commas around Io and invece?

They mark those elements as parenthetical—they’re inserted into the main flow for emphasis or contrast. Without commas, it would read as a single chunk. With commas, the speaker signals a slight pause and highlights the contrast: “Io, invece, …”.

Why is there a definite article il before polso, even though it’s “my wrist”?

In Italian you typically use the definite article with body parts instead of a possessive adjective alone. So instead of saying “mio polso” on its own, you say “il polso”, assuming context makes clear whose wrist it is. If you wanted to be explicit, you could say “il mio polso”, but here il polso suffices.

Could I rephrase per non stancarmi subito in a different way?

Yes, for example:

“in modo da non stancarmi subito” (literally “in a way that I don’t get tired immediately”)
“affinché non mi stanchi subito” (using the subjunctive)
But per non + infinitive is more concise and very common in spoken Italian.