Milton Keynes gym to launch napping wellbeing class

Being trialled for the first time this weekend, the Napercise classes consist of 45-minute sleep sessions that are designed to help reinvigorate the mind, body, and even burn the odd calorie.

Upon arrival in the studio guests will find the spin-bikes swapped for single beds, and upbeat workout tunes ditched in favour of atmospheric sounds, to create the perfect environment for the soporific sessions to take place.

The studio temperature will also be dropped to a level that promotes calorie burning during sleep.

Napercisers will be invited to curl up in one of the beds and indulge in some restorative mid-afternoon shuteye, before continuing on with their day.

The development of Napercise is inspired by past academic studies into the important health benefits that napping in the day can bring.

This includes helping boost alertness, alleviate feelings of anxiety or stress, and improving your mood.

Napercise itself has been developed alongside sleep expert Kathryn Pinkham, she said: “Sleep is a lot more important than people realise.

“We tend to focus on the short-term effects such as being tired or lacking concentration, but it is also essential for our long-term physical and mental wellbeing too.

“In addition to a lack of sleep bringing with it a higher risk of developing anxiety or depression, when we are sleep deprived we lack the energy to exercise regularly, and also the mental clarity to make good decisions about the food we eat, which could negatively impact our physical health in the long-run.”

A spokesperson for David Lloyd Clubs said: “According to our research, 86 per cent of parents admit to regularly suffering from fatigue which is alarmingly high when you consider the important role getting a good night’s sleep can play in our overall mental and physical wellbeing.

“Here at David Lloyd Clubs, we’re always looking for new ways to tackle the issues that everyday families face, which is what ‘Napercise’ sets out to do. “Filling an exercise studio with beds might look unusual, but if it proves to be a success, we’re definitely excited at the possibility of rolling out the programme to more of our clubs down the line.”