Move. Think. Laugh.™
A class that trains the body, the brain and connection, at the same time.
BNFx™ is a Swiss-made brain-body fitness method, co-created with India: effort, playful brain challenges and connection, in the same class. Here is what it does, and every way it is taught.
Swiss-made method · Certified by BNFx Academy, Switzerland
The missing link
Gyms train the body. Apps train the brain, while the body sits still.
BNFx trains both, together, with other people.
Screens, sitting and stress fragment our attention, and many of us feel more alone than ever. BNFx combines interval training with brain challenges modelled on the games everyone knows (spot the pair, Simon says, charades, dance-along, quiz night) woven into the effort. People shout the answers, get them wrong and laugh, a bit like karaoke, but you sweat.
The experience is made by the coach, not the screen: their energy, their humour and their ability to create connection. That is why every BNFx coach is cast, trained and certified.
Why this method
Four choices behind every class
Move
Physical activity is one of the best-documented levers for the health of body and brain. Research suggests exercise creates biological conditions favourable to adaptation.
Neuroplasticity
The brain learns what we repeat. It keeps changing throughout life, especially with novelty, focused attention and enjoyment.
A paired challenge
Exercise opens the window; the cognitive challenge directs it towards attention, memory, coordination and decision-making.
The relational brain
A brain that feels safe and connected learns better, and comes back. Inspired by Dr Daniel Siegel's Wheel of Awareness, every class opens and closes together.
BNFx is a fitness method inspired by research, not a medical treatment.
The science behind each ingredient
The science behind each ingredient
Not "just questions during a workout"
It is not "just asking questions". Physical effort increases BDNF, a protein that helps the brain build new connections. Repetition strengthens those connections. And surprise, when we get it wrong and laugh, triggers the signals that tell the brain: remember this. BNFx™ brings these three levers together. How and when we combine them is what our coaches learn at the Academy.
Nothing is random. The physical effort is intelligently calibrated, and the cognitive challenges are chosen and adapted to each group, for energy and for longevity alike.
Effort feeds the brain
- Aerobic exercise increases BDNF, a protein that helps neurons grow and form new connections.
- It increases blood flow to the brain.
- In a controlled trial, a year of brisk walking increased the size of the hippocampus, a key memory region, in older adults.
- It supports executive functions: attention, planning, flexibility.
Repetition and surprise build the brain
- Neurons that fire together wire together: repetition strengthens synapses and makes circuits faster.
- The brain learns most from prediction error: when the outcome surprises it, dopamine signals "remember this".
- A challenge that is a little difficult and varied is remembered better than an easy one.
Connection makes it stick
- Positive emotion and focused attention strengthen memory.
- Physical inactivity and social isolation are both listed among the modifiable risk factors for dementia by the Lancet Commission.
- Feeling safe in a group helps us regulate stress, and come back.
References
Erickson K.I. et al. (2011), Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory, PNAS · Cotman C.W. & Berchtold N.C. (2002), Exercise: a behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity, Trends in Neurosciences · Hebb D.O. (1949), The Organization of Behavior · Bliss T.V. & Lømo T. (1973), long-term potentiation, Journal of Physiology · Schultz W., Dayan P. & Montague P.R. (1997), A neural substrate of prediction and reward, Science · Bjork R.A. (1994), desirable difficulties · Livingston G. et al. (2020, 2024), Dementia prevention, intervention, and care, The Lancet Commission.
BNFx is a fitness method inspired by this research. It is not a medical treatment and does not claim to prevent or treat any disease.
Two versions, two formats
One method, for every body and every venue
Energy and Longevity are not a fast class and a slow class. Both bring energy, and both contribute to staying sharp for the long run. What changes is the intensity and the impact on the body, so everyone can choose the version that suits them today.
Two classes, by intensity
BNFx Energy
High intensity, high impact, lots of fun. For people who love to sweat and to be challenged, and it builds the habits that keep you sharp for the long run.
BNFx Longevity
Low impact, full of energy. Gentler on the joints, with the same rhythm, laughter and challenges: balance, memory, coordination and the joy of a group.
Each class is taught in two formats, depending on the venue’s equipment
Flex
No equipment: the venue's TV or a printed A1 flip-chart board. Can be taught anywhere: gyms, studios, companies, hotels, parks.
Immersive
Synchronised screens, light and sound in licensed clubs and hotels. A new Release projected every quarter.
Where it is taught
From the gym to the office, the retreat and after school
Gyms & studios
Group classes in Energy or Longevity, Immersive or Flex.
Companies →
Short sessions with minimal equipment: energy, focus and team spirit.
Hotels & retreats →
A spa for the brain: Longevity, with a yoga and Pilates feel.
After school →
BNFx Kids: children move, think and play together, away from screens.
The class
One class, five phases
Challenges are modelled on games we all know and chosen for the audience: spot-the-pair cards, Simon says, twist-and-reach, dance-along, charades, tile games and quiz nights, woven into the effort. Every BNFx Coach is trained for this fun level in group classes, alternating games and physical practice. Premium and Specialised BNFx Coaches can also bring in a performance level, with neuroscience-based games such as the colour-word (Stroop) test, when participants need it. Every exercise has options, so each person can work at their own level. Longevity classes keep the same structure with low-impact movement and more time for balance and memory.
When we say fun, we mean it: the fun of game night with friends or family. Nobody thinks like at work here. You play, you shout, you get it wrong and you laugh.
For everyone
Every age, every level, every body
BNFx is not about being the fittest in the room. Every movement has options, every challenge can be played seated or standing, and getting the answer wrong is part of the fun.
Our coaches are trained to welcome each person where they are, and to make the group feel like a team. Partner moments are always optional and based on consent: every BNFx coach is the guarantor of a safe and respectful class.
Connection, always with consent
BNFx includes moments in pairs and in teams. They are designed to be safe, respectful and inclusive, and every BNFx coach is the guarantor of that.
- Contact is always optional. Every partner exercise has a no-touch version: a wave instead of a high five, a mirror move instead of a hand-hold.
- Consent first. Coaches ask before any contact and never touch a participant without clear permission.
- Zero tolerance for harassment, inappropriate touching, sexual misconduct or discrimination, from anyone in the room.
- Every coach signs the BNFx code of conduct and is trained to create a safe space and to act if something goes wrong.
- Anyone can report a concern in confidence to info@bnfx.academy. Every report is taken seriously.
