London — If you’ve been struggling to stay active, there’s a trend that one gym chain is hoping will make working out feel a lot more like playtime.
David Lloyd Clubs in North London have introduced kidulting classes, designed to turn traditional workouts into something resembling an adrenaline-fueled childhood game session. As trainer Rachel Dennis welcomed people bounding through the door at the Enfield branch, the room buzzed with energy and laughter.
“We’re gonna play ‘stuck in the mud,'” she announced gleefully, as players froze like statues until others “freed” them to run around again. The kidulting workout is all about channeling your inner child in a fun and silly atmosphere, where participants laugh more than they sweat.
“How’s that heart rate? We feelin’ a little warmer?” Dennis asked when the pace picked up.
Pran Varatharajan cheered as he held another classmate’s legs, pushing her along in a wheelbarrow race. The classes brought back a range of childhood favorites – games most people haven’t played since elementary school.
At one point, they raced back and forth across a colorful parachute, which was then transformed into a fun “popcorn” game with huffing and puffing grownups trying to keep colorful balls bouncing around on the fabric.
For Sophie Doe, who had previously participated in these games as a child, it felt like revisiting her childhood. She said she hadn’t played some of the games since she was seven or eight.
“It’s the joy of being a kid, as an adult,” Kielan Edwards explained of the trend, referring to his role as a personal trainer at David Lloyd Enfield. “We’re trying to replicate those memories that you might have had while you were younger here, in a more structured gym-based environment.”
What’s intriguing is how trainers like Dennis make this transformation happen: by turning classic childhood games into exercises—like the “Joyride,” where an exercise bike looks like an iconic Little Tikes Cozy Coupe.
As CBS News’ correspondent watched, Dennis called out, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” and the class responded with a sprint across the floor, mimicking the game of tag.
“The joy of being a kid never gets old,” Edwards added, “and trainers like Rachel are trying to bring that fun element back into workouts.”
Research from the U.S. National Institutes of Health backs this up, suggesting that when exercise is fun and playful, adults are more likely to form a habit out of it.
For Kielan Edwards, kidulting works because being a kid never loses its magic. For Sophie Doe, it’s about reliving old times. And for trainers like Rachel Dennis, it’s all about bringing the excitement of childhood back into the gym — and making exercise feel less like work.