Relationships May 4, 2017
Fifteen minutes of stretching followed by a 45-minute nap.
And in other news, we’re all moving to the UK.
No, but seriously. David Lloyd Clubs in Sidcup, UK are offering “Nap-Ercise” classes that include a 15-minute stretching exercise and 45-minutes of uninterrupted sleep at the “ideal temperature.” The fitness class to combat tiredness aims to “reinvigorate the mind, improve moods and even burn the odd calorie.”
It sounds too good to be true — but you know what, science may actually be on our side with this one. A 45-minute nap in the middle of the day could help people to better handle stress, at least according to the results of a study done at the Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.
Another study at UC Berkeley confirmed similar benefits, showing that an afternoon nap could increase the brain’s learning capacity. Looks like Spain’s got the right idea with all those siestas. So why’d we stop back in kindergarten?
For now the class is only in a trial run at Sidcup, but it’s hard to see anyone not enjoying such a relaxing class at the gym. I mean, hell, even I’d go to that. It reminds me of the “relaxation” day we had in my “personal fitness” class in high school.
Which was pretty much just all of the non-athletic kids and pregnant girls laying on gymnastic mats in a dark classroom with relaxing music playing on a TV as we – yeah, you guessed it – napped. Best gym class of the year.
So the question is – would you be down for a “gym” class that had you falling asleep in a room full of strangers? For a promised forty-five minutes of “pure, uninterrupted sleep” that just might be my favorite class ever.
