There’s never been a better time to get fit than now. Just look around you. There’s new spinning studios popping up like mushrooms, running clubs springing up out of nowhere and bespoke studios promising you a sweaty time round every corner. Great news, right? Kind of. How can you try each and every one of these new classes with the average price of each session reaching £20 on average? Not only has Somuchmore* come up with a cost-efficient membership solution for you, but it has also incorporated something more powerful by also including wellbeing in its offering.
So who’s behind it? We wanted to find out so after we met the Somuchmore founders at their UK launch, we sent them some questions. Enjoy!
To start with, just in case our readers are unfamiliar with the concept, sum up Somuchmore in 3 words.
JOHANNES – “So. Much. More.”
ALEX – “Health. Fitness. Wellness”
Where did you get the idea for Somuchmore?
JOHANNES – “Mankind. Somuchmore was brought to life in order to help people discover so much more about themselves and so much more around them.
Too many of us do not fulfil our true potential. Why? Because of negative conditioning and mindset, which is unnecessary and unproductive. We believe that people have so much more to give.”
ALEX – “Many people, including ourselves at some point in our lives, are so pre-occupied with menial, daily, and repetitive tasks (working, stressing, trying to be and look good for others) that they forget the “inner matter”, i.e. what really matters. They often get preoccupied with negative feelings and a lack of motivation.
Somuchmore was brought to life in order to help people like us discover so much more about themselves and so much more about their surrounding (e.g. the city they live in)”
What makes Somuchmore unique?
JOHANNES – “We are the only company that offers people a holistic lifestyle offering that is both tangible and actionable. Our classes and unique experiences cover a plethora of health, fitness and wellbeing disciplines that help to train and nurture mind, body and soul.”
ALEX – “We believe that physical and mental conditioning go hand-in-hand. Hence, we go far beyond just fitness. We are the largest holistic wellbeing community in Europe and are the only platform that combines disciplines like fitness, nutrition, mindfulness and alternative holistic therapies. I grew up with the Greek equivalent of “mens sana in corpore sano” (in Latin) which stands for “a sounds mind in a sound body.” It was probably my father’s favourite expression. We try to reflect that saying in everything we do at Somuchmore.”
Why is something like Somuchmore so very much needed in today’s world?
JOHANNES – “As work and stress levels incrementally increase, our general wellbeing decreases. This is not right and something that needs to be addressed. Somuchmore was created to enlighten people’s lives and open their eyes to the infinite opportunities in this world that can help improve their general wellbeing. You will often hear me say
“Be careful how you talk to yourself – because you are listening.”
I personally love this quote. It’s so true. Why do so many of us not feel fulfilled in our daily lives? What’s holding us back? Courage? Persistence? A lack of proper knowledge and tools to utilise it and our potential? You often find it’s a combination of all of the above, muddled together with an elixir of self-doubt and fear of failure which leads me onto the most important inhibitor. A negative mindset. Have you ever thought to yourself “I’m not good enough…I’m not worthy of…“ I mean, how can you take care of your body if you have not learned how to love it? How can you fulfil your full potential in life, if you have not learned how to listen to yourself and love yourself for who you are apologetically? At Somuchmore, we channel supreme positivity in everything we do. From the way we work as as team, to the way we work with all of our partners and members. Our purpose is to help you find yours.”
ALEX – “Because our busy and stressful lives lead us to neglect the very essence of what makes us, humans, happy and successful: our health, our fitness, and our wellbeing. And these three attributes are exactly what we (Johannes and I) and our team focuses on at Somuchmore.”
Why is Somuchmore better than a gym membership?
JOHANNES – “Because it offers all the advantages of a membership without its constrictive disadvantages, with more variety. We don’t want to be seen as better … just different. You will often hear us saying that we provide experiences not classes. Gyms are specialists in providing a fitness exercise and many of them are very good at it.”
ALEX – We don’t see ourselves as better. We certainly see ourselves as different though. We complement a gym offering by a) providing access to a multitude of activities, classes, and treatments, b) we do not believe in long-term memberships, c) we provide increased flexibility in terms of locations (we work with over 200 studios in London) and d) we have a very competitively priced offering.
What are the top 3 benefits users can get from it?
JOHANNES
- A huge variety of classes and exclusive experiences.
- Biggest holistic offering in London and Europe.
- Unbeatable price
ALEX
- Unconditional discovery (unlimited access to classes)
- Unconditional convenience (over 200 studios in London)
- Unconditional commitment (no long-term memberships)
(And all of these benefits at a competitive price ☺)
Where’s Somuchmore going next?
ALEX / JOHANNES – “We are having a dual aspiration. We first want to offer the potential for people to discover Somuchmore both nationally and internationally by expanding across the UK and internationally. Secondly, we want to make Somuchmore an integral part of people’s lives… Think of what Spotify has done for music lovers: it has become a one-stop-shop for unlimited streaming, personalized recommendations, access to curated playlists, sharing of new trends with a vast music community…”
Ok, enough of business. Let’s hear your thoughts on life and personal fitness and stuff.
What is your top tip to living a healthier happier life?
JOHANNES – “Accept the present moment as it is – and live it to the fullest.”
ALEX – Self-reflection and self-awareness linked to balance in everything we do as human.
What’s been your biggest health mistake?
JOHANNES – To look for the answer outside of myself.
ALEX – I spent 8 years working in finance ☺
What do you do to relax and reset your mind?
JOHANNES – Meditate, workout, have fun – whatever feels best at that moment.
ALEX – Switch off my phone one day per week and spend the day with friends and loved ones.
What’s one thing we don’t know about you?
JOHANNES – I can´t start my days without my bath and natural oils accompanied by Mozart or Bach.
ALEX – I really value loyal friends. I strive to be one for those around me.
What’s your health & Fitness goal for 2015?
JOHANNES – Become as fit as my private coach Coupe (impossible!!!!)
ALEX – To run the Athens Marathon and avoid my late-night dinners (they are becoming a habit)
What’s your favourite type of fitness session? Is there one you can choose?
JOHANNES – I love all of them. That’s why I started Somuchmore. Variety is the spice of life! I do however love it when you get a personal touch and the instructor gives you his own form of personal motivation technique (PMA) that drives you to go above and beyond what you ever thought was possible.
ALEX – I’m naturally very curious, hence my match with Somuchmore. I particularly like community and team activities. I do have a personal affinity towards Pilates though as I got my back healed through Pilates three years ago
Favourite place to eat out in London?
JOHANNES – At the moment it is Andina in Shoreditch. But it changes every week. I love variety and exploring territories unknown.
ALEX – Granger & Co. Simple, honest, no-frills attached. Plus, it’s close to where I live.
Favourite place to exercise in London?
JOHANNES – All of our studios are amazing. I also love to exercise in the park.
ALEX – I like variety. If I had a single place in mind, I would not have started Somuchmore.
Favourite spot to rejuvenate and find calm?
JOHANNES – I love Ibiza and its magic. I love Bali and the friendliness of its people. But of all the places in the world, I love Tuscany and its breath-taking nature, culture and warmth.
ALEX – I kind of gave it out already. Sailing in Greece with the engine turned off.
When you hear the word ‘health’ who’s the first person that pops up into your mind?
JOHANNES – My mum.
ALEX – My swimming coach in high school.
And last but not least, what one piece of advice would you give to our busy Londoners?
JOHANNES – Love yourself the way you are, then watch as your true potential reveals itself.
ALEX – Take a well-deserved holiday in my home country, Greece. Sit on an elevated hill overlooking the Aegean Sea. And now looking at the horizon, try really hard to distinguish where the sea stops and where the sky starts. You will soon realize that the sea and sky are one.
Similarly, we should all realize that our health, fitness, and wellness are all one. One cannot live a fulfilled life by looking after his/her fitness while neglecting his/her health.
Somuchmore
Somuchmore is a subscription service that gives you access to a diverse range of fitness and wellness activities, such as aerial yoga, normal yoga, boxing yoga, qi gong, bootcamps, pilates, meditation and more. It normally costs £89 a month but if you follow the instructions below, you can get a 14 day free trial, as well as a £25 voucher.
Here’s how to claim:
1. Go to www.somuchmore.co.uk
2. Follow the steps to create an account
3. On the top left of the payment form, enter voucher code HELLOFITTY254
4. The code will give you a £25 voucher for one month, following the 14-day free trial
Leave a Reply