It’s 2023 and the world still looks a little different.
While many offices have adapted to hybrid schedules – and some have their workforce back in the office permanently – there are still quite a bit of workers continuing the work-at-home cycle, forgive the pun.
Despite what new habits are happening at the office – or not – raising kids in our culture has never been harder. Many households are balancing the 2 working parent life while still trying to keep on top of homework, activities, and school functions/needs. It’s exhausting. After running ragged all day, flying from work to school to back home to activity to making dinner, how is one ever supposed to find the time to work out?
One solution? Get the Peloton.
Now, before you write me off completely for advocating for such a luxurious spend, give me a moment to explain all the features that can benefit your household, and how there is more than meet the eye in this bicycle/screen combo.
1. It’s convenient.
Prior to having my daughter, I would work out all the dang time. Obviously, it was super easy to find time in my day to head to the gym when all I had to worry about after work hours was myself. We moms know that drastically changes once you bring a little one into the universe. Suddenly I was sleep deprived and needed every moment of my day that I was not at work to attend to my new baby. I thought things would get better as she grew older, but her needs started to grow, just in a different direction. Having a Peloton has been life-changing for me. I can jump on at 7 AM or take a lunch break or hop on at 5 PM right before I need to pick her up from daycare. Taking the time waste of traveling to and from the gym is such a game-changer. I can easily fit in a daily or every other day workout due to the flexibility and convenience of having this machine in my home.
2. It can be affordable. And you can test it out.
Part of the hardest part of buying a peloton is seeing the price tag. This thing isn’t cheap. The newest Bike+ is a whopping $2500. That’s a lot to hand over if you’re not sure if you will like the Peloton. The good news is, though, if you want to buy it outright, there are payment plans. But even better – you can rent a brand new bike to try it out before fully purchasing. For around $120ish, you can rent a Bike+, which includes the subscription cost. Speaking of – there is also a $44 monthly membership to access Peloton content. But after you purchase the bike, that $44 is probably still cheaper than a regular gym membership.
3. It’s not just cycle classes.
For that $44 membership cost, you also have a wide variety of other fitness classes. This includes a treadmill, strength, barre, dance, and even meditation. This investment quickly becomes not just about cycling, but your whole fitness plan. One major benefit of Peloton is its content. There are so many classes in their library and there are constantly more being added. This is so different from your mom’s workout tape in the 80s and 90s. Back then, you had to do the same workout with the same instructor over and over again. With Peloton, you can take a different class every day, with still hundreds of classes left over to explore. There are always more classes being uploaded to the platform, sure to never bore you.
4. The trainers are of top-notch quality.
You will be trained by some of the most best and dynamic personal trainers. There is a personality for everyone. If you’re looking for someone who will be hard on you and motivate you to work more, they have it. If you need someone more compassionate, there is a trainer for you. Someone funny, full of zen, or uplifting – you will find them on Peloton. There are even some instructors who have become internet famous based on their classes. (Cody Rigsby, anyone?)
5. You will see results.
It goes without saying (hopefully) that working out is only a small portion of the pie. Study after study showcases that your diet can matter up to 3 times more than working out if you’re looking to lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight. But working out can be a vital key to continuing a life of fitness. I almost immediately started losing weight after using the Peloton on a regular basis (while also adjusting my diet). The comprehensive variety of classes also helped to target different muscle groups and work on strength conditioning in addition to biking.
6. It’s actually really fun.
Cycling isn’t for everyone, but I would dare to say cycle class is a little more exciting than a treadmill class, if there is such a thing. Cycle classes have overtaken the nation with popular chains such as SoulCycle and CycleBar popping up in various states. And there’s a reason: it’s fun! With loud music paired with cycle choreography – especially when that choreography is mini workouts for other muscle groups – there is a rush, unlike others that can be obtained with a good cycle class.
Okay, I might be a Peloton superfan. (I may have just gone on a work conference and was overjoyed to find that the hotel gym had a Peloton.) I’m thankful for my close friends who recommended it to me and finally convinced me to finally take the plunge and try it out. One of my biggest worries is I wouldn’t get a great workout like I would in person. But I’m happy to report that this was a useless worry – some of these classes are INTENSE and I had no problem with embracing the challenge. If you have been waiting for a sign if you should purchase one, take it from this mom: it is worth it!
