Living in London can be fast paced and hectic, often leaving us wishing we had more time in the day to do the things we keep meaning to do. So imagine our joy when we heard of The Open University’s unique collaboration with David Lloyd Clubs to combine fitness with learning.
Melissa Wells views the Open University’s Managing My Money course as she enjoys a taster session at David Lloyd Clubs to launch the university’s new Brain Gyms campaign. Photo credit: Adrian Brooks/Imagewise
Known as the ‘Brain Gym’ the concept is designed to work your mind, alongside working your body. The idea came about when The Open University conducted a survey that revealed over half of us have not actively learnt anything new for over a month, whilst over three quarters of us commit to exercising at least 30 minutes every week. In a bid to change this, the class encourages people to learn as they train and match the hours they spend working out with the time spent training their brains.
The initiative is backed by famed wellbeing expert and author of The Goddess Revolution, Mel Wells, who had this to say about the concept –
“In the social media obsessed world in which we live, it’s easy to be pre-occupied with physical exercise and looking good, so much so that we forget about the importance of exercising our minds too. I believe in maintaining a healthy balance when it comes to diet and exercise – a philosophy that’s also very relevant when it comes to brain health. The Open University’s idea to combine training with learning is all about balance too. It’s a great way to help people match the hours they spend exercising with the amount of time they spend using their brains – I’m excited to give it a go!”
Mel Wells enjoying the Brain Gym taster session. Photo credit: Adrian Brooks/Imagewise
What it was like
HLL was invited to try out the very first pilot class held at David Lloyd Finchley Club back in September. Lasting an hour, The Brain Gym class incorporated David Lloyd’s popular cycling class with a money management taster course from the Open University. We were put through our paces with bursts of high intensity cycling and exercised our brains during active rest periods where we were presented with ideas on how to manage personal finances. The class then concluded with a group quiz to see what we had learned.
Verdict
Combing exercise and learning is a fantastic concept and great for those of us who are a bit restricted with time. The spin session was fun and energetic, whilst the lecture was informative and interesting. Learning something new and engaging our brains only increased that awesome post-spin endorphin buzz.
Who’s it for: Anyone wanting to save time by combining their training session with learning a new skill.
How much: Free!
Where is it: The David Lloyd Finchley Club
More information: email OpenUniversity@lexisagency.com to book your spot at the next event.
For further information on The Open University and to download a copy of the latest ‘Get Started’ guide go to: http://www.open.ac.u
Leave a Reply