I would like to preface my story with the fact that I have struggled with exercise my whole life. Growing up, my parents tried anything to get me to workout. They wanted me to have a healthy activity to relieve stress and did what they could to provide me with one. I tried every sport they put in front of me: tennis, soccer, track, volleyball, dance, cheerleading. I even tried Zumba for a few weeks until I grew tired of it too. I absolutely loathed every activity presented to me and would do anything to get out of participating. To avoid going to diving practice I once locked myself in my bedroom closet, shouting at my mother’s kind words trying to persuade me to come out. I wanted to like exercise, I fantasized about waking up one morning with a sudden desire to pick up running, but it never came. Whenever I got the mental strength to work out, I found myself bored out of my mind whether it was an hour-long swim practice or a twenty-minute session on the treadmill. The weariness I felt even drove me to fall asleep in not one, but three yoga classes. Exercise felt like a chore that I found myself dreading every time I thought of it. Last summer, things changed when I found out about cycling.
I was scrolling through my YouTube feed when I got a video from a teen girl talking about her love for cycling. I was drawn to how excited she looked talking about going to another class. I asked a few of my friends who cycle what they thought, and they raved about cycling with a suspicious level of passion. I had ridden a bike before and could not figure out why everyone enjoyed the activity so much. On a whim, I decided to try out the stationary bike my mom had. However, I quickly learned this bike wasn’t like most stationary bikes. This bike was a Peloton. If you’re not familiar with Peloton, you’re not alone! This bike had been in my house for almost a year and I had no idea what it was. The difference between a Peloton and normal stationary bike is that the former has a screen the size of a small TV where you can choose to participate in a digital cycling class. Instructors record or Livestream their classes in numerous cities across the world and you can watch and cycle along with them. After a brisk twenty-minute lesson from my mother on how to operate the machine, I clipped my shoes in and found myself overwhelmed with choice. I had never taken a cycling class before and had no idea which one to choose. Confused with phrases like “HIIT” and “Interval Training” I opted for a seemingly harmless ride titled “Ally Love’s 30-minute pop ride.” The instructor introduced herself like any normal workout class and started pedaling.
The whole class happened so fast! I thought I had seen all there is to see in the world of working out, but this was unlike anything I had ever tried… And in the best way possible! I sang along to the music played, did the choreography suggested, and even found myself smiling through it. The instructor was personable and made it feel like we were two friends having fun together. Not only was the class actually fun, but I also felt genuine inspiration from her words. The comments of encouragement made by the instructor felt genuine, like she actually knew me as opposed to the generic “You can do this!” that I was so painfully accustomed to. For the first time, I found myself actively engaged in a workout class. Not only did I enjoy the class, but I wanted to do more! Instead of dreading even so much as looking at a treadmill, I was filled with excitement when I thought about taking another class. I even started getting up earlier to get a workout in before I had to go to work. I could not believe the person Peloton had turned me into. If you had told me a year ago that I would sacrifice an hour of sleep to get up early to workout, I would’ve laughed in your face. I’m far from an athlete, but Peloton has given me a new relationship with exercise. Not only do I continue to take Peloton classes as often as I can, but this experience has also made me more open to trying different types of workouts. Although I don’t see myself going on a run anytime soon, I can say with certainty that I enjoy working out for the first time in my life. I recommend taking a Peloton class to anyone who is able, even if you think it’s not for you… I promise you it is.
Sources: techcrunch.com and retailmenot.com