IT'S the excuse couch potatoes and sleep-deprived parents have been waiting for to avoid exercise.

A gym chain in Glasgow is trialling 45-minute nap sessions, which are designed to 'reinvigorate the mind and body' and even claim to burn the odd calorie.

David Lloyd Clubs have launched Napercise sessions in the wake of research which showed 19% of parents have had a fly kip at work and more alarmingly, 11% have drifted off while driving.

Studio guests will find the spin-bikes swapped for single beds, and upbeat workout tunes ditched in favour of atmospheric sounds.

The studio temperature will also be dropped to a level that promotes sleep.

The classes will be launched this weekend in London, but depending on their success would be rolled out to Glasgow clubs.

Napercisers will be invited to curl up in one of the beds and indulge in some restorative mid-afternoon shuteye, before continuing on with their day and was developed alongside Dreams Sleep Expert Kathryn Pinkham.

She said: "Sleep is a lot more important than people realise.

"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."

A spokesperson for David Lloyd Clubs said: “We're always looking for new ways to tackle the issues that everyday families face, which is what ‘Napercise’ sets out to do.

"Filling an exercise studio with beds might look unusual, but if it proves to be a success, we’re definitely excited at the possibility of rolling out the programme to more of our clubs down the line.”