Peloton App - Will It Be Enough to Get You Spinning?

When Cooking Light approached me about trying out Peloton’s workouts, my response was immediately, “Yes!”. I’m always game for a new workout, but I also assumed this meant a Peloton bike would be delivered to my house...

Peloton bikes are state-of-the-art spinning bikes designed for home use that have been on the market for a few years now. The bike looks similar to a spin bike at a gym or studio, except it features a touch-screen (and sweat-proof!) console that connects you with live classes, as well as a library of on-demand classes. The rider has direct interaction with the live classes and instructors and gives stats on distance, resistance, heart rate and calories. Basically, the bike is amazing—but it also has a hefty price tag of around $2000.  Yikes.

I quickly learned that a Peloton bike wouldn’t be arriving on my doorstep, but I would be given access to the new Peloton App, which streams the same live classes that the bike owners have, as well as the on-demand library. Trying out the Peloton app for a few weeks seemed like a great way to stay accountable with exercise, and on-demand workouts meant that I could do them whenever, wherever.

Exercise has always been a regular part of my life, and I’m known to bounce around among various workouts to keep things challenging and fun, including spinning from time to time. When I travel, I love to try out classes at spin studios that I don’t normally have access to, like Flywheel and SoulCycle. In my experience, I’ve found that spin classes tend to go one of two ways: they’re either engaging and challenging, or they’re a struggle to get through (more mentally than physically).

I’ve also found that the instructor and music selection are what separate great classes from “meh” classes. There’s nothing more frustrating than when my limited time to exercise is taken up by a workout that’s not engaging, challenging, or motivating, and I was skeptical about an app-based workout class being any of those.

But my assignment was to try out the Peloton app for at least two weeks, so I headed to the gym with my iPad, and after using the app for several weeks, here’s what I found, recently featured on Cooking Light.  

Have any of you tried the Peloton app?!  If so, leave a comment and let me know what you thought!