I have never enjoyed exercising in a gym-type environment. I don’t like having to summon the willpower to drive to a gym and then force myself to exercise in a big room with a bunch of sweaty people I don’t know.
I do enjoy exercising though. I just prefer to do it outside and have it be somewhat more organic – like a byproduct of some other activity. I think that’s why bicycling has always had such a strong appeal for me. On a bike I can push myself harder, or slower, depending on my mood. And along the way I get to distract myself with all kinds of things to see. I should also add that riding the streets of Los Angeles also comes with a little sprinkle of danger, which also appeals to me on some subconscious level.
My company very generously gives us employees a Wellness Benefit, which is expressed by basically giving us $80/month that we can spend however we like – as long as it is something for our ‘wellness’. This includes everything from massages to exercise equipment. With the COVID pandemic going on I hadn’t really used it and by the end of the year I had saved up a few months worth of money. So kind of on a whim I purchased a Sunny SF-B1002 spin bike. Some of my coworkers were talking about the Peloton app and seemed to enjoy it, so I signed up for that as well.
To my surprise, I really enjoy the biking with the Peloton classes! I thought it was something I would do once or twice and then get bored with it. But as of today I just completed my 26th spin class, and I am still really enjoying it. It’s a great workout for 1/2 an hour, and I can do it anytime I want. I thought I would miss the joy of riding outside, and on occasion I still do that, but mostly now I am just riding in the mornings on the spin bike. I’ve also taken a few of the other Peloton offerings as well, and my daughter and I have been enjoying the 10 minute family fit cardio sessions.
At first I was just riding running the app on my phone. But soon I realized I could run the classes on my laptop. I had a laptop stand that I wasn’t really using, and I figured out how in a certain configuration it would just slide right into the handlebars and be secure. So now it’s almost like having a real Peloton bike – except about $2k cheaper. I also got a cadence meter that attaches to the pedal, and I can monitor my cadence using my their app on my phone, which I just put down next to the computer on the stand.
Overall I’m pretty pleased with myself for sticking with it. It’s good exercise and I’ve been really enjoying it. Hopefully the novelty won’t wear off anytime soon.
