A gym in the U.K. offers a new "workout" for tired parents. Instead of having exercise equipment, however, inside the facility are single beds that members use for a 60-minute session of "napercise." What is this and how can this help parents?
Gym owner David Lloyd devised napercise for exhausted moms and dads. His sessions are, in fact, sleep sessions where parents come in and go to sleep at his gym. The classes begin in the mid-afternoon when the children are mostly in school.
Before the session starts, parents do tension-releasing stretches and they also do the same at the end of the class. Parents are then given a blanket and an eye mask while gym operators adjust the room temperature and dim the lights to encourage a better sleeping environment. When everything is set, parents can snooze away in dreamland, uninterrupted for the next 45 minutes.
Lloyd said the napercise sleep sessions are "scientifically designed to reinvigorate the mind, improve moods and even burn the odd calorie," as per Mashable. He worked together with sleep expert Kathryn Pinkham for the classes for the trial run in his gym located at Sidcup.
"Sleep is a lot more important than people realize," Pinkham said, as per Independent. "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."
Sleep deprivation in parents is well-studied area among experts and academics. It also affects the kids in a big way, as per a previous Parent Herald report.
If all goes well, Lloyd will be offering napercise in his other gyms as well. The sessions, while aimed at moms and dads, is also good for childless adults who might benefit from the napping classes. It's unclear, however, how much participants have to pay for a session of napercise.
