This month, fitness freaks GYMBOX have partnered with 99 Comedy Club, merging comedy with fitness to create its “Sunday Roast” class, seeing gym goers roasted by a professional comedian as they work out.
On the back of Edinburgh Fringe, the unique London gym brand has announced the nation’s first comedy filled gym class and is urging people to swap their sit-down Sunday roasts for a Sunday roast like no other.
Participants will get roasted both verbally and physically for 45 minutes straight, burning calories in the most hilarious and hottest way possible.
Research suggests that laughter not only increases the heart rate and calorie expenditure by up to 20%, but 15 minutes of laughter alone can burn up to 40 calories.
The circuit-style class combines HIIT training with continued bouts of laughter and extreme temperatures – meaning even more calories burnt.
After a five-minute warm-up and ten minutes of pulse raising exercise, participants don a sauna suit for a 30-minute, extra high intensity, circuit sweat-fest.
All as the class clown – resident 99 Comedy Club MC Tom Webb – cherry picks participants to roast personally (courtesy of a short questionnaire filled out ahead of the class).
George Coote MSC, Sport Scientist, said: “Laughter is extremely beneficial for our mental health as it triggers receptors in the brain which release endorphins such as dopamine and oxytocin which improve our mood. But people forget how beneficial laughing is for our physical health. Not only does laughing burn calories, but research has also shown that during intense bouts of laughter there is an increase in contraction of abdominal muscles and this can remain for as long as 45minutes.”
Cranking up the heat in the studio along with the addition of the sauna suit in the “Sunday Roast” class increases the heart and breathing rates, meaning a higher calorific demand of the exercise.
Coote continued: “Not only does the Sunday Roast class result in calorie expenditure through laughter but the heat plays an important role in this roasting class. Studies consistently show that exercise in higher temperatures increase metabolic function, improving cardiovascular health, burning more calories as a result. With the sauna suit your body works hard to stabilise itself at 37 degrees Celsius. These physiological effects manifest themselves as an increase in heart rate, breathing rate and therefore a higher calorific demand of the exercise.”
Rory McEntee, Creative Director at Gymbox, said: “Much like the gym industry, the world of comedy has had a challenging 18 months, so we are delighted to be able to partner with the iconic 99 comedy club to give our members a much-needed laugh while they get their sweat on.
We’re known for having the most creative classes and throwing a comedian into the mix is certainly the most unique we’ve done to date.”
Tom Webb, Resident 99 Comedy Club MC, said: “Going to the gym has always seemed overtly masochistic to me and the idea of having a professional comedian roast you as you exercise seems like a cry for help. However, it turns out that it’s bloody hilarious and a really tough class.
“Each person receives a questionnaire a week ahead of the class, meaning that I can get the perfect roasting material on everyone and can make it a very personal experience for everyone in the room.
“It’s great to be working with Gymbox on their Sunday Roast class, as you can imagine, the last 18 months has not been the busies for us comedians, so it’s great to get back out there doing what I love most.”
The Sunday Roast class will be available in GYMBOX’S Covent Garden club every Sunday in September starting September 4, 2021.
To book a spot on Sunday Roast, please visit www.gymbox.com