Evelyn Webster, the CEO of SoulCycle, has been leading the spin studio empire since 2020. As the chief executive of a wellness and fitness brand that has over 60 studios in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., Webster prioritizes self-care as an integral part of her personal and professional ethos.
“I’ve learned that leadership and wellness aren’t mutually exclusive,” she tells Fortune.
Here are Webster’s daily habits that she credits for her strong health and leadership:
6 a.m. wake up
Webster gets up at 6 a.m. every day.
“I’m woken by my personal alarm clock, a.k.a. my cat James, who insists on giving me a (frankly, unwelcome) feline face wash until I’m physically compelled to get up and feed him,” Webster says. “It’s a daily negotiation, and James always wins.”
Many executives are early risers, clocking in a workout, spending time with family, or having some alone time before the notifications roll in. While the pressure to be a 6 a.m. riser to jump start the day is intense, early birds may benefit in the long-run. Waking up early can allow you to ease into the day, calming your nervous system instead of elevating it when in a rush. It is also associated with better mental health and a reduced risk of obesity and diabetes.
“I believe in my heart that we all could benefit by being a little bit of a morning lark,” Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine specialist and the chief medical advisor for Sleepopolis, previously told Fortune.
It can also give you the time to workout or meditate, which all come with a host of health benefits.
Puzzling
“My morning officially starts when I sit down at my kitchen table and go through the full checklist of puzzles from The New York Times,” Webster says. “Whatever you’re thinking of, I play it.”
Playing games and doing puzzles activates regions of the brain that are not routinely engaged. Additionally, doing something new, like a brain game, can enhance your executive functioning and creativity, Dr. Tara Swart, a leading neuroscientist and author of The Source: Open Your Mind. Change Your Life, previously told Fortune.
Read and move
After Webster gets an ego boost from solving her day’s puzzles, she’ll go on to read the day’s news, including the newsletters she subscribes to. And, not surprisingly, she takes a SoulCycle class and exercises at the gym.
“Riding alongside such a supportive group of individuals elevates the experience in a way that goes beyond just fitness,” Webster says. “It’s an indescribable feeling that doesn’t lose its magic or fade over time.”
Cold shower
After her sweat, Webster swears by an ice-cold shower. Cold therapy, often in the form of cold plunges, has been hailed as a way to calm the nervous system, heal the body, and, of course, wake up. Cold therapy, like ice baths, can reduce inflammation, muscle strain, and may improve sleep.
“While cold plunges may be the newest and trendiest wellness obsession, it feels like so much time and effort when a cold shower at home does the trick,” she says. “I have been doing them for years—even on chilly winter mornings, and I swear by their benefits.”
Not eliminating “pure bliss”
Sleep is also a vital part of Webster’s non-negotiables, to ensure she can “recuperate and recharge,” she says. Still, as a New Yorker, she acknowledges that over-optimizing her routine does not allow for spontaneity and the “joys of what the city has to offer.” She does not clock in a workout every day just for the sake of it, but does so intentionally to serve both her mind and body.
Some days, that includes a Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich with extra pickles and spicy mayo that she calls “pure bliss.”
“I truly believe that you can’t deny yourself the things that make you happy, you just need to enjoy them in moderation,” she says.
She adds: “I always listen to my body first. I may be a hard charger, but I also know when to hit pause and take a step back to refresh. If my body’s telling me to spend the weekend in pajamas, binge-reading a good book, and indulging in that Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich (or two), I listen.”
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