By Cinzia Deodato
I’m a city girl…in normal times walking makes up most of my exercise and being too busy to cook keeps me skinny. I incorporate small things like always taking the stairs so I don’t have to do the BIG things like join a gym. No offense to every who seems to actually enjoy working out, but that is just not me. Being trapped in my very small NYC apartment due to COVID-19 quarantine has forced me to put effort into making fitness a deliberate and thoughtful part of my new normal. I am a naturally social person and more than a little competitive, so I knew it was gonna have to something pretty special to make me remain motivated and committed. My roommates mentioned chipping in together for a Peloton, and once I did my research and took my first spin, I was hooked.
Peloton, for the uninitiated, is, according to their website, “the immersive cardio you can’t get enough of”. It may appear to be the same exercise bike that your grandma had in her bedroom but never seemed to use but it is a lifestyle. I’ve always envied that my girlfriends always seemed so pumped when they would meet up after a spin class. They would talk about how much the classes cost but it was “so worth it”. They would brag about scoring a bike in their favorite class and setting their alarms to make sure their didn’t miss signing up. As much as I admired their enthusiasm and glow, it seemed a bit high stress and the opposite of fun.
My mom had been nagging me to try and stay healthy while stuck at home and I mentioned to her that my roommates wanted to buy a Peloton. I told her that the money I’m saving by not taking the subway right now could more than pay for it and she made me see I couldn’t say no. Ordering it was super-fast and easy. The website does warn right now that delivery may take a bit longer right now as everyone is ordering it. The price right now is $1,895 is the lowest ever and there are options to sign up for your monthly subscription to save even more. Delivery and set up is no problem, even for someone with no technical skills.
With space at a premium and storage nonexistent, I’m impressed with how awesome it is to look at and how little space it requires!
The biggest challenge is making time to take classes with all the different instructors. It is so inspiring to be guided in my journey by professionals who genuinely love what they do. I was a germaphobe well before the virus so being able to do this all in the comfort and safety of my own home makes all the difference for me. I was the type of kid who would do anything in grade school for a sticker. Watching my stats increase is almost an even bigger reward than all the energy and strength I feel. I am completely in love with it and can’t wait to come out of quarantine look and feeling better than ever.
