Y'all, I'm obsessed. Like: people roll their eyes at me because all of my casual conversations somehow lead to Peloton, or how Cody Rigsby made a funny joke about mac n cheese during class today, or how my hamstrings are so tight because Tunde Oyeneyin kicked my butt in bootcamp. Yes: I understand that the trainers don't know me, but we have a relationship. They have been my coaches, my supporters, my motivators. They have made me laugh during the darkest days of this pandemic and also cry like a baby while pedaling.
I am so grateful for them and their positive spirit. See Exhibit A, below
Where it started:
At first I wasn't sure if this Peloton thing was a lasting trend. Would I use it enough to merit the sky-high price tag or would it turn into the cliched $1300 clothes hanger? So I went cheap (I DO love a good deal), bought a spin bike on Amazon and with a few additions I have to say it's been an integral force in my mental health/wellbeing since July 2020 when the box arrived on my doorstep.
How it's going:
I earned my 70-week streak badge today on the Peloton app. This means I've used the app at least once a week for 70 weeks (note: there's more than just spinning. I've done meditations, guided outdoor runs/walk, yoga, strength training, etc). That's longer than I've committed to any sort of fitness regime (even when I trained for a marathon). So I'd say the lasting power is legit. I went from viewing exercise as punishment for overeating to looking forward to working out because it feels so good.
What I use:
Note: these are not sponsored links. I don't get a kickback....although maybe I should! :-)
1. JOROTO Indoor Cycling Bike Exercise Bike. It's still sturdy and really quiet. It takes up the same amount of floor space as a yoga mat (pro tip: to see if I had room, I rolled out my mat to get a sense of how it would fit). And at around $400 it's much more affordable than the Peloton bike (~$1450)..
2. Peloton Digital The app itself is $12.99/month, but you can get the first 2 months for free. FYI: this platform is like $40/month if you use the actual Peloton (gasp!). I run it on my iPhone 12, which i rest in one of the cupholders on the bike.
3. To protect my floor: Sunny Health and Fitness Exercise Mat (about $20).
4 To get cadence data: I use the WAHOO Cadence Sensor For about $30, this little guy sticks on the "arm" of your pedal and tracks your cadence (aka how past you are pedaling). It connects via Bluetooth to your Peloton app (simply start pedaling to wake it up).
5. To get heart rate data: I use my AppleWatch (I already had one. Not the newest model). This also connects via Bluetooth to app.
6. I also have a pile of hand weights ranging from 3 lbs (for spin classes with arm intervals) to 20 lbs (for strength classes) and an old yoga mat, some yoga blocks and a yoga strap.
7. And lastly, to tune out the rest of my household, I connect my Apple Airpods to my phone and enter the cocoon/sound bath of the Peloton community (I also had these, so not included in the investment total. They're the class model- wired to charge. I love them and will never go back to wired earbuds ever again).
This isn't to say this is the best most absolute way to do this, but it works for me. Let me know what you end up using! And if you're wondering why this is on a career counselor's website....well, let's just say during the last 70 weeks of Peloton-ing, being mentally and physically healthy has had an absolute impact on my career wellbeing too.
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