For those struggling with their New Year’s resolutions to get fit or feeling the pinch post-Christmas, David Lloyd Clubs has an answer. Their new pop-up: Run For Your Bun, in Covent Garden is giving diners free meals in exchange for a 10 minute HIIT workout. Instead of cash tills, visitors finalise their bill via the treadmill, spin bike, rowing machine or exercise mat.
The pop-up comes as new research revealed the average office worker spends 90% of their day sitting down and almost a third eat lunch at their desks every day. That means in a typical year office workers could be spending an astonishing 65 days not moving.
Elaine Denton, health and fitness expert from David Lloyd Clubs, puts this down to the huge popularity of online shopping and food delivery apps. She explains: “With it being the New Year, a time when millions make commitments to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle, there seemed no better time for us to remind Brits of the importance of being active by opening a café where customers can pay for a nutritious lunch with a fun and speedy workout.”
Although the cafe will only be open for a couple of days, David Lloyd hopes to raise awareness for the issue and encourage people to think about how they can be more active on a daily basis. Elaine continues: “Our lifestyles are becoming increasingly sedentary, and we want people to recognise that a nutritious, balanced diet and regular exercise go hand-in-hand when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle.”
Swapping currency for another activity has become a popular stunt over the last few years, showing how brands are looking to retail as an effective “media channel.” Marc Jacobs first kicked off the trend with a ‘Tweet Shop,’ where you could swap a hashtag for anything from a manicure to a handbag. Similarly, Lyle’s Golden Syrup opened a cafe aimed at making more people smile in the morning. Visitors simply had to share a selfie in order to get a free bowl of porridge or pancake. More free food and designer goods is definitely a trend we can get behind.
The Run For Your Bun café is appearing at Slingsby Place, Covent Garden, from Wednesday 11th to Friday 13th of January. People wishing to book a lunch reservation can visit www.billetto.co.uk/run-for-your-bun-cafe.