If your feed has you thinking you have to go to the gym every single day, a 12-step morning routine, and a new supplement every week to be your best self, you’re not alone. But Cody Rigsby, one of Peloton’s most lovable instructors, wants you to take the pressure off of yourself when it comes to wellness. After all, Rigsby tells Her Campus in an exclusive interview, “Being perfect is exhausting.”
Whether you’ve taken a Peloton class with Rigsby or are one of his millions of followers across social media, you know he shows up with confidence and positivity. But even Rigsby struggles with the pressure to be “on.” “There are definitely days that I’m going through things or don’t want to work in general, like every other human being,” he says. “So, I dial down the pressure [on myself]: I don’t need to be as funny. I don’t need to have something quick-witted to say.”
Between classes, social lives, and finding time to prioritize their well-being, college students can also feel that pressure. Online, people are constantly pushing new wellness routines and trends and products — and Rigsby sees it too. “There is a time and space for us to be materialistic and surface level [with wellness],” he says about viral wellness trends and products. “But, right now, I’m trying to unlearn those quick dopamine hits that give us instant gratification and trying to work towards long-term goals and feeling good about myself.”
When you love every aspect of yourself, you can show up with confidence.
And, to do that, Rigsby says all you need to do is show up and get started — with a little bit of tough love, of course. “I know it’s scary,” he says, “But get your ass to the gym. Go pick up some weights. Do your best.”
Along with the expectation to have the perfect wellness routine, the pressure from social media to get your protein intake perfect can also be a lot. However, much like his approach to fitness, trying new things, and life itself, Rigsby says that pressure doesn’t have to consume you. “Most people struggle with [getting protein in],” he says. “But find things that you can easily make at home, and have things ready to go so that you’re not having decision paralysis.”
And to make the “protein craze” more realistic and accessible, Rigsby recently partnered with Orgain protein. “The pre-made smoothies have 30 grams of protein,” he says. “They’re compact, they’re light, you can throw them in your bag — they really are a game changer.”
Of course, finding time for wellness — or hitting your protein goal — doesn’t mean that you have to put pressure on yourself. For anyone who still feels overwhelmed by wellness, Rigsby recommends taking things one step at a time. “I always believe in this philosophy of ‘spinning plates,’” he says. “You’ve got to be able to maintain one with ease [before] you get to the next one.”
Whether it’s a workout or a class, Rigsby’s approach is the same: take the pressure off, keep it simple, and show up as yourself, flaws and all. After all, you don’t have to do wellness perfectly to feel good about yourself. “When you love every aspect of yourself, you can show up with confidence,” he says. “Because nobody can tell you sh*t.”