Pros and Cons of the Peloton

A Prescription for Wellness Health Coach Review

What would you say if you can access live streaming and on demand workout classes that includes cycling, running, yoga, strength, meditation, boot camp, walking, and even cardio at the comfort of your own home? What would you say if you never have to get stuck in traffic or struggle to find a parking spot to attend a workout class? What would say if you can attend a live workout class with your family or friends in other parts of the world at the same time? If you are wondering how all of these is possible, companies like Peloton is making it happen every single day for hundreds of thousands of people across the globe.

So how is Peloton making this happen? Peloton started with the idea of sending a high-end stationary bike, that is connected through WIFI, has a 22-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth capability, and ANT sensory technology to homes. People who have the Peloton at home can access schedule live streaming classes at home. If the time doesn’t fit in their schedule, classes can be accessed by on demand like Netflix. As the number of customers increased the number of live streaming schedules and on demand library increased. The rapid popularity of Peloton led to the development of other types of demand classes that include yoga, meditation, bootcamp, and even their new Peloton treadmill.

This sounds amazing right? So, what’s a better way to experience Peloton, than having it yourself in the comfort of your own home. That’s exactly what my wife and I did. We’ve had the Peloton bike and access to all their on-demand classes for the past 9 months and it is a game changer. It has changed our lives forever, especially with our busy schedule. For example, my wife has a full-time job and was going to school full time for her doctorate. She was able to get a 30 – 45-minute workout in without having to worry about wasting time driving or sitting in traffic on her way to class. She just jumped right on the bike, picked one of the on-demand classes, and just rode away. I’ve also done that on numerous occasions minus the doctorate part. We get so busy with life, but the Peloton helps us squeeze in a quick amazing workout when we can.

After 9 months of using Peloton here are our pros and cons:

Pros

• Located right in your house or apartment
• No travel time to get to your workout (you don’t even have to brush your teeth in the morning if you don’t want to)
• Can workout anytime you want (even at 11 PM at night – My wife has done that)
• The Peloton app offers many options for live-streaming classes beyond cycling, including outdoor running classes, treadmill classes, strength, yoga, meditation, stretching, bootcamp, walking, and cardio.
• Motivating, energizing instructors and playlists for the classes (some even have a live DJ)
• You have the capability of motivating other riders during the live steaming classes by giving them a virtual high five
• Riders can see their power output, calories burned, heart rate (heart rate monitor needed), and how they compare with other riders
• Can challenge co-workers or other people you know who have a Peloton. We have a couple coaches who challenge each other on their Peloton each week
• Can create an individual account for your entire household without having to pay additional membership fee
• The Peloton app also provides programs for running, core training, cycling, and yoga that lasts several weeks (they have a marathon training program)
• All the classes and accomplishments are saved in your individual profile
• You can connect your Bluetooth headphones, so you can ride away without disturbing anybody else with the class music
• Many hotels have Peloton bikes in their fitness rooms, so you can jump on and enjoy a class while you are traveling

Cons

• The bike with the touch screen will cost around $2000, so it is a big chunk of change.
• Monthly membership costs $40 a month for the entire household
• It does take up some space in your house or apartment, especially if you start doing classes that incorporate weight lifting.
• Must purchase Look Delta cleats for your bike shoes (if you have the Shimano cleats you are out of luck).

As you can see from our list, we have really enjoyed our experience with Peloton. Peloton has tackled many different barriers for people to engage in physical activity and be healthy, by providing a product that can be used anytime during the day or night at the comfort of their homes. Companies like Peloton are innovative, and many more companies are following in their footsteps.