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For the workout obsessed, Flywheel Sports is essentially an indoor sanctuary to ride away the stress of the week. They have 40 locations (and growing), yet Ruth Zukerman, co-founder and creative director, still makes time to teach multiple classes a week to stay connected with her clientele. We checked in with Zukerman to find out exactly how she winds down on the weekends and what she does in order to reset for the week ahead.
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
The very first thing I do in the morning is make my bed because neatness and order are important to me. I always feel most energetic in the morning. It’s my most organized and efficient time of day. I get up earlier than I have to so I avoid the stress of rushing. I retrieve the New York Times outside my front door and enjoy a leisurely breakfast (oatmeal, juice, and iced coffee) and read the paper, checking the weather first. Since I typically teach class every morning, I then pull out my laptop to edit and organize my playlist based on my mood and outlook for the day. If there’s time to spare, I’ll answer emails from the night before.
What are your favorite things to do for yourself on the weekends?
I love spending weekends at my house in Sag Harbor. I bought it almost three years ago, and the joy it gives me never diminishes. I sometimes just walk around the house and appreciate it. I enjoy taking walks and admiring all of the historic houses in the area. I’ll sometimes make the short walk into the village for an hour-long foot massage at Happy Feet. It’s heaven! I also love cooking dinner for myself and friends. There is an incredible farm stand right in Sag Harbor which stays open most of the year—it’s so fresh and has everything I need. Regardless of the off-season temperature drop, I continue using my grill which cooks everything to perfection.
How do you deal when you’re away for the weekend?
I’m away most weekends and fortunately, as Flywheel Sports has grown, I am no longer the person receiving emergency calls. However, I always stay on top of emails, and everyone knows they can get in touch with me this way. I feel more relaxed knowing that I won’t be dealing with a bombarded inbox Sunday evening. Occasionally, I will intentionally get back to the city late Sunday afternoon to allow myself downtime to mentally transition back.
What are the activities or errands on your “must-accomplish list” every weekend?
I recently started taking SLT classes and love fitting one into my weekend plans. I’ll also typically plan a Fresh Direct order (for beverages more than anything else). I love being stocked up at home, and it’s great they handle the delivery. I even order wine from them. I also always try to catch up on my “New Yorker” magazines or else the pile becomes overwhelming.
What do you do on Sundays to prepare for the week ahead?
Since our Flywheel booking window for the week opens every Sunday at 5pm, I always find myself checking out the classes online to see how many and who is signed up. Then I begin to create my playlists. Since many people take multiple classes of mine in one week, I choose an interesting mix of different songs for each class to keep things fresh for my loyal riders. Lastly, I save the Sunday Times for Sunday evening when I return home from Sag Harbor. This way I start the week off feeling fully informed for dinner conversations during the week.