Peloton Bike: Things you should know

SO you've seen the commercials...maybe the ads have been haunting your newsfeed...you've thought about it...but should you get a Peloton bike?

The short answer is: yes.

{Already getting a Peloton Bike or Tread? Scroll to the bottom to snag a coupon code!}

Ok let's break this down: I've had the bike for right at a month now and it's been somewhat life-changing for me. Let me back up and tell you that 1) I have never 'spinned' before in my life and 2) I've been doing Crossfit on and off for the last 5 years. In the last year though, I've not been into the gym much. Believe it or not, I started having a very REAL anxiety about going to the gym! The gym I was going to was awesome but for some reason, I couldn't get myself there. I'd get nervous and anxious just thinking about the WOD...so I just stopped. Now, this is no excuse to 'let myself go' but that's exactly what I did. A year without intentional activity plus a medication change made me seriously out of shape and unusually (for me) overweight. I made a decision in December that something had to change...enter Peloton.

Initially I just wrote this Peloton idea off because 1) again, I had NO spinning experience and 2) the bike is expensive.  After crunching some numbers I realized that the bike and the membership would still come out cheaper (per month AND in the long run- especially considering my husband also wanted to participate) than a traditional Crossfit-style gym membership. As for the no-spin experience thing, I figured if I could fall in love with Crossfit (after secretly puking for the first 2 weeks of class haha!) then I could fall in love with spin. I'd just have to do it...as it turns out, I was RIGHT! The best part is having this bike (and the incredible membership) right in my bedroom eliminates my anxiety and therefore, my excuses. 

So what do you need to know? Let's make a pros vs cons list! PROSBeing that the Peloton monitors your metrics (your speed, energy output, calorie burn, heart rate, and resistance) as you ride, you have the motivation and interaction of being in a live class. No one can SEE you, even if you take a live class, but you can still interact and track your information right along with the class. Essentially, you have all the perks of being at a gym with a real instructor but you don't have to leave your home or look presentable haha!It eliminates excuses! This was honestly the biggest pro for me. Having it at home but with the added social aspect eliminated the 'I don't feel like driving out there' excuse, among others. It gets the job done. You can SEE the work your body is putting in right there on the screen with the monitored metrics. The social aspect is frankly genius. The Leaderboard shows you how you compete with other's who've taken the same class. For me the competition was not something I needed, but my husband likes to find another member on the Leaderboard and "chase them". For him it works, for me it's the awards and the motivating instructors. It's pretty small! For a piece of exercise equipment, it's fairly small and compact. It weighs about 135 lbs though so plan to keep it in one place.  CONSIt's expensive. For me, the breakdown of the cost made the bike definitely worth it. I've read that others have purchased a cheap spin bike and an iPad for the app. I think you'll miss out on the monitored metrics and syncing with the class with this method. However, if that's how you have to make it work than work it!You need the membership. The Peloton membership is $39/month (for up to 10 profiles- so not per person necessarily). You get A TON with that app; it has yoga, bootcamp, running programs, stretching, strength training, and more. The downer is that without the membership the bike doesn't do that much. It still functions and has a basic screen set up, but that's it. Ok this went on much longer than I intended! More questions about the Peloton bike or App? Drop them in the comments! Here's the thing: find a way to move your body that works for you. It's the key to great health, I'm convinced of it! 

PS: If you're going to take the leap and snag a Peloton Bike or Tread make sure you use my coupon code to save $100! >>>>  FHZHJJ