I DESPISE THE PELOTON

*This was written a few months ago. I have since sold my Peloton.

I utterly, whole-heartedly despise my brand new Peloton bike. I purchased it upon moving into my new home this past June, thinking that it would be a great addition to my upstairs den. I’d just gotten a new puppy, so getting outside or simply across the street to the new gym presented a new level of difficulty. The Peloton felt like the perfect solution to all of these new, little obstacles. I’d get to work out in my den, with a great variety of options to improve my cardiovascular fitness, and I could even watch a movie of my choice - on my own TV - while riding the bike! While undoubtedly excited at the purchase point, the Peloton has since been collecting mounds of dust (I haven’t even run a duster over the seat), and I just can't seem to get this contraption out of my house.

I’m a fully immersed outdoor exercise person. The wind lightly blowing on my face, sweetly keeping me cool? Love it. The heat of the sun pulsing down on my skin, baking it (of course, use SPF)? Obsessed with it. Getting to view and experience a new set of surroundings with each step? Live for it. Working out inside never clicked with me because you don’t get to be present in this set of refreshing experiences. It’s a package; better your body, better your mind, and live presently in the honesty of nature.

So why did I buy the dang Peloton? Well, COVID-19. Gyms didn’t feel safe to me (honestly, nowhere feels safe to me yet), and despite having one directly next to my house, I wanted to try and find more convenience for working out during the cold months. As a persistent asthmatic, cold and me do not mix. Running, or even just walking, in the winter weather brings on an exceptionally difficult set of challenges in regards to just breathing. Your lungs start to violently burn, and with asthma, icy temperatures bring your wheezing to a high. It just simply doesn’t work, so I thought that an indoor bike might diminish my general lack of desire to exercise from December - March. And like… I love to exercise. My body feels immensely accomplished, and put to hard work, even by doing a low intensity workout, like yoga. Where I live, in New York, getting in a workout outside just isn’t always possible in the winter.

In comes the Peloton, here to solve the crisis! Moreso, it expanded the crisis. I admit, when I first got the bike, I felt apprehensive. Will I actually ride this thing? I was internally questioning my purchase before the delivery men even plugged it into the wall. But I wanted to give my body, and my drive, a chance to prove my inner voice wrong. I will ride this bike, and I will force it to become a part of my regular routine. Okay. Yes.

No. I rode it about two times before definitively deciding that I absolutely despised it. Why? Easy - because it doesn’t provide the same experience as being active outside. It’s not refreshing, it’s sticky. It’s not empowering, it’s uncomfortable; the seat slides up your butt and collects pools of sweat. It’s not fun - if anything, it’s overly monotonous, despite the semi-wide collection of classes that are offered.

I do understand the universal appeal. They show you how to workout, and if you’re new to doing so, they guide you through each step, ushering you to better cardiovascular fitness. But if you aren’t new to the game, it feels tedious and toneless. The ‘free rides’ that they offer prompt you to select an area to ride through - some major city or park, all of different lengths. But once you’ve ridden through just a couple of them, you find yourself craving something new… something other than the Peloton. Now, I understand that some need structure in their workout routines. Some people want to be shown what the next step is, what they need to do to work on X. But what if you want to work on Q, or F? What if you want to just power through the exercises of your own selection? Then, my friends - the Peloton is not for you.

This was something I realized almost immediately, especially as someone who likes to craft their own workouts. If this is something you enjoy - and something you already know how to do - I do not recommend the Peloton for you. If you still find yourself feeling uncomfortable amidst groups of people (I heavily relate to you), you can easily craft your own free workouts at home with some YouTube video inspo and a few hand weights.

The Peloton is also an added expense. I pay about $75 a month for a dusty bike - bike price and membership together. It’s a full phone bill, or a few tanks of gas; if you feel like bills are a bit tight, the Peloton also might not be the best fit for you. You can pause your membership whenever you want - but you of course cannot access any classes in the meantime.

If you’re the type of person who likes to work out on their own time, in their own way - do it. If you want a more structured class-like schedule, something that guides you through your workouts - do it. I’m not here to tell you whether or not to choose the Peloton - just that it’s an investment, one that you should be sure of. I felt apprehension from the get-go, knowing my fitness history and workout style. I had a slick feeling that the Peloton wouldn’t fit my personal style, but will it fit yours? That’s for you, the reader, to decide - and me to only provide my experience.

But either way, I absolutely detest this bike, and we are officially breaking up.