Fit for purpose: why workers are raving about SoulCycle x FLOWN

By Eleanor Hope-Jones

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Jun 26, 2023

Join SoulCycle and FLOWN on a journey through your body to harness the power of your mind. In other words, get on your bike in SoulCycle’s infamous rides and see what it does to your deep work sessions!

SoulCycle’s team of charismatic instructors have joined forces with FLOWN’s expert facilitators to try running a few of FLOWN’s signature Flocks. Meanwhile Flownies around the globe are encouraged to try out SoulCycle’s group rides to see how it affects their focus and productivity.

A match made in heaven? We think so!

Focus is tricky, and no one knows that better than the team here at FLOWN. So we’ve called in some SoulCycle legends to inject FLOWN’s focus session with their signature enthusiasm, motivation and creativity. Because there’s no better way to prime your brain for focus than taking yourself for a ride 😉

By linking exercise and deep work you can expect benefits like:

Improved focus
Better productivity
Less procrastination
Bags of energy
Enhanced memory
More flow states

What’s a flow state we hear you cry?

Have you ever found yourself completely absorbed in an activity to the point that you lose track of time? That's a flow state. A concept that explains why we’re up to 5 times more productive when we're completely in the zone.

Studies have shown how experiencing flow can help guard against depression and burnout. Research even suggests that people who managed to experience flow regularly during the COVID-19 lockdowns had better well-being during quarantine as it distracted them from worrying.

So getting on the bike isn’t just for your body, it’s also for your mind.

FLOWN is already changing the lives of professionals across the globe. Ashleigh, a Head of Finance for a major charity, credits FLOWN with the willpower to focus on her biggest tasks

“I get the headspace to get stuck in without being distracted by calls and emails…I get work done in less time just by cutting out the distractions. Having that time in my diary means people leave me alone to complete tasks.”

Meanwhile, L&D officer Trish has rave reviews about our team of facilitators

“Flock Facilitators are so welcoming and make the experience fun and enjoyable every time… Spending a couple of hours working silently and virtually, in the company of a disparate group of professionals from all over the world, has consistently given me focus and productivity to achieve my work goals.”

By combining our focus fanatic facilitators with SoulCycle’s powerhouse instructors we’re changing the game of remote work.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? The missing ingredient to productivity may well be as simple as exercise. AKA the thing we often put off because we just don’t have time.

But the evidence is overwhelming…

Improved concentration and sharper memory

In a randomised study by Stanford professors, participants who completed 15 minutes of stationary cycling performed better in tests of working memory and concentration compared to a sedentary control group. What’s so interesting about this study is how the benefits were immediate, regardless of age or ability.

AKA Exercising immediately releases chemicals that help you focus.

Improved mood and personal relations

A study by professors from Bristol and Leeds universities found that exercise massively improves your mood, regardless of your current workload. This uplift in mood as a result of activity resulted in greater employee tolerance and resilience.

In other words, exercise helps you get on better with colleagues and deal with the ups and downs of work!

Increased energy and creativity

When we exert energy our bodies produce mitochondria in our muscle cells. Mitochondria are the things that create fuel out of the glucose in food and oxygen in air. So more mitochondria = more energy!

What's even more exciting is that as well as a mood or energy boost from exercise, you can also get a creative boost! Researchers have found evidence that supports long held anecdotal wisdom from writers on moving your body to get through creative blocks.

AKA exercise helps you feel more energetic and creative! Sounds like it's time we made exercise a non-negotiable part of our work-from-home routine.

It’s easy to say you’ll start exercising regularly, it’s a lot harder to do. So the FLOWN x SoulCycle’s team are here with their top tips to starting a WFH exercise regime you’ll definitely stick to.

1. Find movement you love

If you hate the atmosphere of the gym, then taking up weight training might not be the smartest move. Likewise trying to build a running habit in the depths of a bitterly cold winter is going to be harder than it needs to be. Find movement that you truly enjoy whether it’s walking, pilates or a cheeky spin class.

2. Join a group that’ll rely on you

If you struggle to hold yourself accountable, why not let others do it for you? A local netball team or five-a-side league is a great way to get over the initial hump of getting moving. Especially if there’s a group of you in the same boat as exercise newbies.

3. Have performance goals

Rather than focusing on long-term goals like weight loss or muscle growth, consider performance goals in your sport of choice. If you’ve taken up weight lifting, setting a goal of squatting 60kg will motivate you to stick to your new habit. Likewise hitting a certain speed on your bike, or achieving a certain posture in yoga will keep you coming back for more for months on end.

4. Make it hard to avoid

Think about how you can use your WFH routine to make exercise impossible to avoid. Do you always take your daily shower after your lunchtime run? Do you put your laptop on the other side of your workout bike? Perhaps you do your shopping en route home from the gym? Before long, breaking out of your routine will be more hassle than doing the workout in the first place.

Or, join FLOWN X Soulcycle and let our team help you utilize the power of the bike for focus!

Dan Murray-Serter, founder of revolutionary brain care supplement Heights converted his whole team to FLOWN.

"I love FLOWN and encourage my team to get stuck into the platform…we use Flocks to focus together and sprint towards progress… It boosts their achievement and also improves their sense of wellbeing at work."

And if you take a look at FLOWN’s features it's not hard to see why. FLOWN offers 50+ focus sessions a week that utilize body doubling, group accountability and expert facilitation to beat distraction.

These come in the form of:

Deep dives - 2 hour virtual focus sessions with goal setting to a small group and a guided breakout activity.
Power Hours - a 1 hour virtual focus session with goal setting in the chat.
Drop In - an all day silent virtual coworking room you can join and leave anytime you like.

As well as a variety of powerful live and on demand rituals like:

Take-Off sessions - A 20 minute session that combines meditation, journaling and goal setting with a small group.
Awe walks - join on your phone and step outside for a restorative walk - we’ll guide you and connect you with your surroundings.
Airflow - guided breathwork with a qualified coach - regular live sessions completely free for members

Try a Flock for free to help you set clear intentions and find focus

FLOWN runs hours of deep work sessions every weekday from morning to night. Flocks are digital co-working spaces, designed to free you from distraction, plan out your peak productive hours in detail and get more done.