After seeing so much hype around Peloton throughout 2020, I decided to finally give it a try in December because my building has a few of the bikes in the gym. Now I have to note that I HATE cardio. I’ve tried to get into cardio many times but haven’t found anything I love. I’ve used the elliptical machine, I’ve tried getting into running with Aaptiv, I’ve done jump rope and at home cardio workouts. I haven’t really fallen in love with any of it. And in all honesty, my goal is to get toned, so strength training is what I focus on. I wasn’t expecting to love Peloton because I consider myself someone who just doesn’t enjoy cardio. Surprisingly, I really like it, and I wanted to share my thoughts on what to keep in mind if you’re just trying it out or considering purchasing! I HIGHLY recommend trying the bikes out for at least a month at a local gym if you’re able to before purchasing (or doing the trial through Peloton). But anyways, here are my thoughts!
Give It Time
It takes time to a. get used to the saddle (aka the bike seat) and b. start to enjoy it. I think everyone who does Peloton for the first time has the same surprised revelation that it’s actually a little painful for your bottom. That’s part of the reason I didn’t love it right away. A bike seat cushion definitely helps, but over time, your glutes and thighs get used to the saddle even without a cushion if you just push through those first five or six painful sessions.
Besides getting used to the saddle, I think it’s worth trying out different instructors, difficulty levels, and ride styles before making a decision on whether you enjoy Peloton or not. I didn’t love the first couple rides I did, but now I have some I love and keep going back to! This leads into my next point.
Find the Best Difficulty Level for YOU
I think the key to being consistent with any workout is making sure you enjoy it. With Peloton, I think finding the right difficulty level for you is important because if a ride is too challenging, it will be difficult to keep up and it won’t be fun. If a ride is too easy, it might feel like it’s not a great workout or worth the time. It took me 3 classes or so before I found something that was challenging enough, but still fun! Once I did, I actually started looking forward to my rides and craving them! Eventually, I started trying to beat my PR during my rides, which leads into my next thought.
Compete with yourself
When I first started, my max output was in the 80s for a 20 minute class and around 100 for a 30 minute class, and I was TIRED by the end of the rides. I couldn’t imagine doing a more challenging ride. Now, I do a bit higher difficulty level and my output is in the 140s for a 30 minute ride. That’s just to say that I literally started out in the lowest 10% of Peloton-ers and am slowly working my way up. I’m still in the lowest 30% in terms of output, but I’m getting better. The best part of this is that I’m only competing with myself. It doesn’t matter what anyone else’s output was for the same ride, it just matters that I’m improving relative to my own rides, and I love that.
Is it the most efficient for weight loss?
I’ve realized that Peloton, as enjoyable as I find it, is actually not the most efficient workout. If burning calories is your main goal, running certainly provides a higher calorie/minute payoff than biking. Heck, walking on an incline provides a significantly higher calorie/minute burn also, which I wouldn’t have expected. But Peloton is more fun in my opinion, which means I’m more likely to do it. So in the long run, I’ll burn more with Peloton because I’ll actually do it versus running which I hate.
Final Verdict: Do I recommend purchasing?
I recommend trying out the bikes first and doing at least 20 to 30 classes on a machine at a local gym if you’re able to. Peloton does have a return policy and a 30-day trial, but studies have shown that once we spend money on something, we typically view it as a sunk cost and might be less likely to go out of our way to return it. In general, I try to force myself to “prove” to myself that I’ll use something before purchasing, and I think it’s worth doing that with Peloton by trying it out first, even if you have to pay for a month long membership to a gym to do so.
Second, I think if weight loss is your main goal and if you enjoy other forms of cardio, such as running, buying a Peloton isn’t worth it. If you can’t stand other forms of cardio but you do enjoy Peloton, then it could be a wonderful investment since cardiovascular exercise is so important!
Finally, I would keep in mind that once you purchase the bike, you still have to pay for the monthly subscription to access the classes. For that price, you basically could just get a gym membership and use the bikes there. For someone like me, who lives in a one-bedroom Manhattan apartment, using the bikes at a local gym makes more sense since storing a bike at home would be a challenge. I wouldn’t want to keep it in the living room and our bedroom is too small for a bike station. (No shade to anyone who does though- I grew up with a treadmill in my living room, and my parents used it very frequently. It made sense for them even if they didn’t love the look of it! If you need to get active for health reasons, I think the interior decor concern is irrelevant.)
Thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful for anyone considering trying it out!
All views expressed are solely mine, and are not endorsed by my academic institution. This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, and this site should not be relied upon as health advice. I am a student, and share my opinions and experiences through this platform, but am not qualified to give medical advice, nor am I seeking to do so.
