In January 2021, my husband landed his dream job as a diplomat for the US State Department, meaning that he works abroad or away from home 90% of the time practically leaving me as a single mom. With less free time and higher stress levels, I knew that figuring out how to incorporate self care was critical. For me, exercise has always been a big part of how I maintain my sanity. At the time, our son was 3.5 years old and sneaking out of the house for a yoga class, quick run or cycling workout alone was not an option.
The answer to my exercise challenges: Peloton. I treated myself to the PelotonBike+ . . . for all of our sakes.
From Barre to Strength Training – Peloton Has it all
Due to the thousands of classes offered, Peloton has allowed me to get in practically any workout I fancied at any time of day. When we were working from home, I’d squeeze in a workout between meetings, before my son woke up and after he went to bed. These days, I usually squeeze it in first thing in the morning – and I love it. Many have questioned Peloton’s post-pandemic relevance, but I still love it. Peloton has made it so easy to exercise, there’s no excuse not to. One of the first things that pop up when you start a workout is your track record, which typically motivates me to keep working out because I want to maintain my streak.
One drawback to this app is that it doesn’t track non-Peloton workouts. So if you decide to go on a swim or take a live class somewhere, it doesn’t make it on your calendar. But honestly, that matters less than making time to move and getting your body to exercise regularly in a way that’s right for your body.
HIgh quality instructors
The programming is incredibly impressive. The quality of the instructors, instruction and music selection are bar none. There’s something for everyone. I’m a 90’s hip hop girl, so Robin Arzon, Ally Love and Hannah Frankson are my go-to instructors. On those rare occasions when my husband’s in town and I can go on a quick run outside, Jess Sims and Olivia Amato make their way into my queue.
Recently, actually, let’s be honest. Since forever, my son’s been sneaking into my bed and the Peloton Bike is in my bedroom, so I opt for a yoga, pilates, barre or strength class in the living room to avoid waking him. If I have 15 minutes, I tend to do a Flash15 strength or cardio HIIT class. If I only have 5 minutes, I do a core workout. I’ve found that any amount of movement in the morning right after waking up is incredible. It increases my alertness, focus and energy levels throughout the day.
Peloton has significantly improved my quality of life, simply by making it easier and honestly enjoyable to exercise. I completely recommend their bike and programming. I recognize that Peloton equipment may not be affordable for all, but they offer free financing, which I absolutely took advantage of. At the time, the Peloton Bike+ was $2,495.00. There was a $100 promotion, which you needed to use for Peloton accessories, so I purchased the bike mat, water bottle and weights. All together with taxes, the grand total was $2,716.85. I took advantage of the free financing, opted for the two year option, and my monthly total for two years, including the monthly membership was $152.20 – the cost of a gym membership plus several in-person yoga, pilates or barre classes in San Francisco. I’ve since paid off my Peloton, and now I only pay $39/ month for unlimited access to Peloton’s repertoire of incredible programming. Now, I take any strength, yoga, pilates, barre or cycling class whenever I want. Recently, Peloton developed a gym series to guide you through gym workouts, which I’ve tried and also enjoy.
It is awesome.
To me, the most incredible part of Peloton is that it removes any barriers one might experience to creating habits – and they do this by offering programming in so many diverse time increments – from 5 minutes to 90.
Peloton has helped me so much, and if you’re interested, you can take advantage of 60 days for free with this guest pass. If you do sign up, find me! My handle is teenahsee. I’d love to high-five you while working out. Note: Peloton is not sponsoring any of these posts, nor do I receive a commission for making referrals, I just love the product that much!
That said, maybe you don’t want to spend any money on programming or equipment, and that’s okay too. You just need to carve out time in your schedule and make a habit of exercising. See my post here on strategies to staying fit in 15 minutes or less. I provide a variety of mostly equipment-free workouts to try at home. If you want to dive deeper into getting fit instead of just staying fit, check out my post on 5 Strategies for Getting Fit.
Do you Peloton? Who are your favorite instructors? Do you have a killer workout you’ve really enjoyed? Is there a product or tool you’ve incorporated that’s changed your life? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
