Most people will not admit to hating exercise, but unfortunately I am one of them Despite countless efforts and hobbies over the years, nothing lasts That's why, in a desperate attempt to improve and adjust my fitness, I purchased a peloton last month It was not a cheap investment, but I had high hopes that this would finally get me into the habit of exercising regularly and, dare I say, enjoying it

In the month since I bought the peloton, in addition to cycling, I've tried all kinds of classes, from yoga and meditation to boxing; I've completed 19 workouts and cycled a total of 416 miles; I've done a total of 10 workouts, including a workout that I'd never done before; and I've done a total of 105 miles of cycling Here are five things I learned from this experience

Naturally, you would think that classes are supposed to push you In just 20 minutes, you will be drenched in sweat and exhausted In just 20 minutes, you will be covered in sweat and exhausted Most of the classes encourage you to go up a level, and while the Peloton treadmills have a walking class for beginners, the bike is so much harder than just cycling slowly, and the classes are so motivating, that I think it's easy to push yourself too hard I think"

Different classes have different outputs and some are harder than others If you scroll down to the class breakdown and description, you can get a general idea of how hard the class is Just keep in mind that if you are new to cycling, it may take longer than you think to gain experience

Yoga classes for beginners can be a daunting task because of the speed required to switch between poses If you are new to yoga, you will find yourself constantly straining your neck to check the screen for visual guidance

I wasn't initially too bothered by the community aspect of the Peloton bike It wasn't until I started working out that I realized it really helped There's a competitive spirit that develops throughout the class If someone is just a couple of steps in front of you, you try your hardest to beat them, and before you know it, they are chasing you and it becomes a one-on-one race It makes the class more exciting and definitely drives you

The community is also really supportive In one class, people started high-fiving me I'm not exaggerating, they randomly high-fived me about 20 times It wasn't until after the session that I realized it was my 10th ride and I was being honored for the achievement Others saw it and congratulated me

I quickly grew tired of the peloton class and was quite concerned that my bike would gather dust But so far, so good As mentioned above, the classes I have taken have varied, but even sticking to the beginner cycling classes has kept me interested That said, I have taken some classes more than once because I liked the selection of music in a particular class

There are also many types of classes that I have yet to take, including strength, cardio, and running In addition, there is a program of classes that take place over several weeks, which is where I found boxing So there is always something new to try I will say, however, that I tend to spend the majority of my time while the program is in place I am halfway through boxing and have only done a few other classes this week Some programs need to be continued daily

Due to the layout of my apartment, I had to push Peloton against the wall of my office The bikes fit easily, but I didn't realize that putting them against the wall would limit me in some ways For example, almost every class ends with stretching, some of which can only be done by turning your body sideways After a hard ride, though, it's tricky to do them in a hurry so you don't miss the stretches

I purchased a Peloton Bike+ (starting at $2,195/month $52) This is great for alternative classes However, I find it inconvenient for certain classes because you can only access the bike from the right side For example, when practicing boxing, my stance is to face to the right because my right foot is behind me

I cannot even face the other way because of the limited space in the room This is by no means Peloton's fault, but rather advice about where to place the bike Ideally, there should be space on both sides and room to rotate the screen

When using the Peloton with more than one person, of course, each person will need to adjust their own seat settings, which makes things more complicated Increments are provided for seat height, depth, and handlebar height, making it easy to learn the settings However, they are all quite stiff and difficult to adjust at first I expect that over time they will loosen up, but for now I recommend my partner to leave the handlebar height as it is a matter of preference

Overall, I am still very happy with my purchase and look forward to moving on to more experienced classes I am recommending my friends to purchase one so that they can race virtually