Nope. Still gonna continue to mock Peloton. There are plenty of low-frills ways to exercise without going to a public gym/studio. Jump rope. Walk around the block. Bicycle. Balance ball. Small free-weights. Yoga mat to do yoga and/or pilates mat exercises. Dynabands. Using your own body weight/resistance exercises. Etc.
38
Yeah buying a bike and then paying a subscription to use it? The virtual reality may be okay for some, and biking in some places like Loudoun County VA where stop signs and red light are ONLY a suggestion, can be life threatening.
4
I have a Peloton and love it. And I don't see myself as elitist.
For those of you who say "just ride outside", yeah, I did that then got hit by a distracted driver and broke seven bones. Also, I live in the CA desert where its 115 in the shade in the summer.
The all in cost is less than $100/mo. I don't see people "mocking" others who pay more than that for a gym, for classes, for a car and gas to get there, for Lulu's cause they need to look good in the gym, etc., etc..
And its a lot easier to hop on the bike then hit the gym after a long day, so I actually exercise 4 times a weeks rather than finding excuses.
Finally, re corona, the Peloton is safer virus-wise regardless of how many wipes you try at the gym.
Question is, why is it so necessary to mock? Is that cool? C'mon people, it might be time to get serious.
65
...No, I will not stop mocking peloton. Get a real bike, get *outside* ...on the streets, in the city. There is no alternative or replacement. Nothing compares to the real experience
9
No. I still prefer to mock Peloton
23
And in six months the Peleton devices will revert to $2500 drying racks behind the hot water heater.
10
How about going for a bike ride outside?
4
For a complete home workout you can't beat the Tonal intelligent home gym with virtual personal trainer. This is the future of home workout technology.
I workout every day at a club. The social setting is far superior to working out at home (which I have done at various stages of my life). I've made a few friends (networking) and I feel having people around you makes you want to put forth more (apparent) effort. Showering afterwards, I haven't had to clean my home tub in years. By the way, I am a little fearful of germs in the men's shower.
4
@AH
...remind me strongly where your home tub is, lest I come within the hazard zone around it, plz thanks.
7
Nobody mocks home gym equipment. It's $3000 for a bicycle AND $50 per month just to use the bike. Helllllooooo? What's not to mock.
13
Peloton finances the bike at $58/mo and the subscription is $39. Compares favorably to the all in cost of a gym.
11
Walking is free, and the air is fresh
5
@Suzanne
...air is fresh and clean, so says our prez, the picture of healthful glow.
6
“Fitness is everything to me,” said Ms Mereshensky, a mother of two school-age children. “It grounds me mentally more than anything.”
Fitness as defined by minutes on any piece of equipment is a contemporary conceit bordering on addiction.
16
An old Nordic Track cross country ski device, two 20# dumb bells, weight lifting gloves, mat, and an exercise bike all in a finished basement have served me well over many, many years.
No need for exercise clothes, walk down the steps, and no one else except my wife uses the equipment.
I do not need other people around to socialize or to encourage me or to give instructions.
9
@Edward B. Blau
No bike but yes to the home gym and mat and machines. I fall down the steps early in the AM when my coach the cat bites my toes at the same time every day. I open the mat, stretch, maybe core work, maybe weights, maybe yoga usually a combination and then later some time on a machine in the unheated garage. I've had these things for decades.
The winter it's cold and the summer its hot but WDF. I've been doing it most of my life making changes in machines and type of workouts as I age. Oxidation=rust+aging is not fun. The human machine does wear out.
I did try gyms and the interaction is nice. However at 5 AM I don't want to get dressed, cleaned up beyond the basics, drive in soon to be nut-so traffic and do all that. And pay for what I have at home too. Nope!
The cat, remember her? She sits on the mat and waits for me to finish and then walk over to her food dish and looks at me. If I'm not quick enough or distracted I become her chew toy. I get the message.
18
What about the crazy thought: just cycle outdoors! Just run outdoors! No you won’t touch anything beyond with your wheels or feet. No, fresh air doesn’t carry virus.
5
I love to walk. I love my Eliptigo. I also love, love, love my Peleton. Guess what folks? It’s none of your business what I do for exercise and I neither want nor need your advice. And, let’s face it, you don’t want mine either.
Peloton makes a great product. Spinning is not the same as “going for a bike ride”.
Live and let live.
39
Now, now. Let's not let a little thing like a global pandemic stop us from mocking Peloton. We have to keep doing the things that give us joy or the virus will win.
36
Even the title here is elitist. This is not the best of the NYT and it's distasteful. There are so many reasons a peloton isn't the answer. I understand the point. But seriously.
3
The virus threat will subside and I will go back to mocking Peloton as it isolates us even further. Like college via the internet - no human interaction, no new ideas shared over coffee with people who may not be in your classes or share your views. See Wall-E for how this all turns out for our species.
2
Again, with the lifestyles of the wealthy and entitled who have the capacity to remove themselves from society. This is in the same vein as the super wealthy with their private doctors jetting off to their islands/bunkers
3
While not a cyclist, I can relate to this by my newly found appreciation for what I used to call the “dreadmill” in my basement. Somehow it’s suddenly a lot more appealing than weaving through the crowds that pack the running trails in the city this time of the year.
2
Nonsense. I will never stop mocking one of the most expensive coat racks around. Nor will I stop going to my power yoga classes, running or cycling. But I make sure I wash my hands more diligently.
3
Yeah. No. You can but a nice road bike, get fitted. Buy a smart trainer and a subscription to say zwift and be better off financially and physically.
5
No, I will still mock Peloton. They deserve it!
3
And one can assume that this is not written for the benefit of the great unwashed, who are not in the position to rethink their position on the peleton. Navel gazing for the 1 percent.
I guess I was unaware that people were mocking Peloton. If so, why? People have had their own stationary bikes, treadmills and so forth for as long as I can remember. Were you just hard pressed to find a topic for an article?
5
b/c they're extremely overpriced for what they deliver
3
You can work out at home with nothing more than the floor and your own body. I'm going to continue making fun of Peloton.
6
My biggest worry from the outset of this crisis has been what would happen to peloton. Now, I can sleep.
7
Nope. Still gonna mock Peleton.
2
Not mocking Peloton per se, but the ads that are ridiculous and pompous.
9
Thanks to the writers on this; could someone also report on the safety of lap swimming in indoor pools?
4
Those who mock Peloton are the ones who can’t afford it and have massive envy. We’ll be eating in and riding our peloton as COVID-19 continues to spread
4
This snarky headline isn’t nice or helpful. Instead of just suggesting that people use their stationary equipment (drag that NordicTrack out of the garage!), the Times uses the moment to make a joke about those who mock those who buy a Peloton and those that own one. Is this is humor in the time of plague?
1
In the dark times, will there be Peloton mockery?
2
What about those dumb-bells?
Who knows where they've been.
Their not gonna wipe down themselves!
Peloton? really? live your best life! meanwihle, good luck to all the rest of us on lifeboat Earth.
catchy lede though...
1
The gym has got so many germs/I'd rather go out and eat worms/than sit on a dolly/where germs are quite jolly/while doing some bending and squirms
3
Pictures of the Peloton?
2
Gyms are gross even in the best of times. These aren't the best of times. However, the ritual of physically going to a specific place for exercise is useful for many people. You actually exercise. Most home equipment turns into a very expensive laundry rack.
That said, I gave up on gyms a long time ago. I can't stand the culture or the expense. A gym membership can easily cost as much as a simple home gym. On the low end, $50 a month is about the same price as my rowing machine new. The same exact model the gym had. With only one or two people using it, the machine will easily last 10 years. Throw in a few small choice items. I personally enjoy a hangboard. If free weights and balls are your thing, go for it. They aren't particularly expense.
The main problems are space and self-discipline. My rowing machine collapses fairly small. However, you then need to set it up every time you row. The space required isn't small either. The machine would likely lead to divorce in any of my New York apartments.
Speaking of apartments, neighbors are something else to consider. I once had a guy who used a bench press directly above my bed. The actual exercise wasn't the problem. Good for him. However, he would drop the weights on hardwood floor after each interval. "Crash!" If you aren't mindful and considerate, you can expect complaints.
All-in-all though, I like the home setup. Easier for me and I don't feel guilty about those months when I'm not using a gym membership anyway.
3
Did the Peleton staff stay up all night writing letters or are that many self-absorbed individuals running loose in our world. If a stationary bike changes your world so dramatically why don"t you change the world for the better...leave.
1
The title reads "Maybe now you'll stop mocking Peloton?". Not a chance.
2
There are many free fitness videos online ... cardio, strength, toning, flexibility. I particularly like www.fitnessblender.com, which offers almost endless instruction videos ... many use body weight, requiring no equipment at all. A quick online search will bring up numerous options.
5
Virus or not, Peloton will always be dumb. Just go outside and run or ride a real bike.
1
There is nothing more hilarious than a new Peloton commercial that's trying to undo the elitist snafu of the last Peloton commercial.
In my house someone yells "Peloton commerical" and we all come running to mock and laugh at it. I love mocking Peloton so much that the stalking advertising algorithms confuse my comical disdain with commercial interest and their ads follow me all over the internet.
If you ever want a great laugh, check out the comments on an instagram Peloton ad, better than SNL.
11
@Megan
Lots of time on your hands?
4
What is with these headlines the NYT writes? "Maybe Now You'll Stop Mocking Peleton"? Where do they get off mocking their readers? Why do they assume their readers are shallow idiots, who, by the way, all think alike?
2
no
1
Exercise is central to my wife’s and my mental wellbeing (not to mention physical benefits), and keeping up with it intern year was a mess. My wife and I spent our tax return following our internship year (we’re medical residents) on one, because of the convenience of working out at home with our hectic schedules.
Even without this pandemic it’s been entirely worth it - especially with the Netflix like subscription and multiple ppl using it.
It’s hard to say you don’t have time to exercise with the thing sitting in your living room and 20min classes. But it’s easy when to and from the gym with the workout stacks up to 2hrs.
We have enthusiastically recommended it to multiple colleagues all of whom have reported similar feedback.
20
Nope. I will not.
Peleton’s recent ad says that getting up before dawn or exercising after work might not be for everyone, “but at $58 a month it is for everyone.” Apparently, the tone deaf ads continue. Maybe THEY think $58 is pocket change, but millions of Americans do NOT.
9
Thing is, I set up a nice, but fairly inexpensive, exercise bike, and a small TV in front of it, and you can youtube spin classes and get by just fine without the price tag.
11
@BP
Good idea.
For my following 10 minute high intensity $149 stationary bike workout, I just look at a tree in my view for cardinals that frequent it and the clock when sprinting.
Pedal easy all the time for 10 minutes, EXCEPT for three 20 second sprints at 3:00, 5:20 & 7:40.
A recent study shows no additional aroebic benefit for extra time. But, of course you'll burn more calories if you pedal more for 10 minutes.
2
I stopped going to the gym as of this past Monday. I was a regular, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I found a fantastic home excercise plan on line that has a nice intense routine that changes every week for four weeks. I started it and it is really exceptional. I will be 76 tomorrow.
10
@John Taylor Got a link?
1
@John Taylor Happy Birthday!
5
I will never stop mocking a product which so clearly illuminates two things. A) The role economic status plays in health outcomes B) Income inequality in late stage rapacious capitalism. Never!
27
I absolutely agree that economic status plays a role in health outcomes due to access to healthcare and affordability of healthful food, to name just two. The rest of your post, however, implies that without such an exemplar of “rapacious capitalism” as a Peloton, a person can’t get fit.
I run. I know expensive running gear when I see it, and every day I pass other walkers and runners whose gear ranges from second-hand sneakers to $150 shorts. Some of the fastest, most dedicated runners I see are sporting the former.
2
Check out the March 17, 2017 podcast of The Commonwealth Club. The episode is titled "ZIP CODE, NOT GENETIC CODE: THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT'S 10 YEAR, $1 BILLION INITIATIVE" The California Endowment study showed the role zip code played in health outcomes was profound. Now consider the role income inequality and the residuals of historic racism play in where people live. Food desserts, open space, safe streets on which to walk, run or bike, funding for recreation centers at parks - ALL of this ties into income inequality. When I couldn't afford a gym membership I did YouTube exercise vids at home and I used my condo workout room. But I had the privilege of having broadband internet in my home and the privilege of living in a condo with a workout room and a pool. Half of U.S. adults can't come up with $500 in an emergency. I don't know how many of those folks have broadband, safe streets or a workout room.
1
If we end up in a long recession I don't think I'll feel bad about thinking an extremely expensive exercise bike with an additional $40/mo fee isn't a product that's going to do well.
17
I can still mock Peoloton for the exclusive, high-end lifestyle that it is marketed to -- and the kinds of models they use in the ads. A key point when you see the ads on TV is that they never mention the cost, which is a major warning sign.
21
Unfortunately, not everyone has room for this (in my view) enormous bikes. I would love to have one, but it just doesn't fit.
5
My husband LOVES his Peloton bike and uses it daily ! Yes, it was pricy but we believe worth every penny.
1) It was less expensive than his road bike 2) It’s safer than his road bike which was trashed, along with my husband’s shoulder, by a distracted driver 3) It enables him to exercise at home while we both care for my elderly dad with dementia 4) It’s been instrumental in helping him lose 40# and wean off his expensive BP med
For hubby, it’s pure fun and enjoyment...but bottom line is we all have to find what works for us ,indoors or out, to remain healthy during this pandemic.
79
Peloton makes a fine product. The issue was never the bike, it was the overly privileged, idealized lifestyle that Peloton tried to market along with it.
Peloton has broadened it’s appeal with leasing and changing its advertisement strategy, because pigeon holing themselves as a luxury product was always going to limit growth potential in an income inequality riven society. People will self select away from what seems like an extravagance.
33
My life changed for the better a few years ago when I started working out at home to the Johnson & Johnson free 7 Minute Workout app. Every day, I do 14 minutes of high intensity exercise in my living room, or a hotel room if I'm traveling. I don't need any equipment, and I'm in the best shape of my life. During these insane times, these consistent workouts are also a balm for my mind. I can't recommend this regimen enough!
32
Great tip! What happened to the NYT's 7-minute workout app?
@Amy Veltman Thanks I will try it!
1
Go outside. The inside air is 5x more polluted than outside and there’s so much more to experience when you leave your house. Take your kids with you. I have an e cargo bike and haul 80 lbs of live cargo to do all my in town needs. I cycle 3000 miles a year, in all conditions with my kids. I get my groceries and exercise in one trip.
21
The best exercise device is the one you actually use. For me, it is my Peloton. Over a year in, we both use our Peloton bike daily. The camaraderie is there with our live motivational instructors, online friends, outstanding music, plus taped classes of all types/lengths ready for the taking whenever. In addition, I get unlimited yoga, strength training, meditation, stretching, bootcamp, etc. via the app through my TV, laptop or other devices. Yeah, my actual bike sits unused in the garage. This is so much more fun for me. Oh, and I have rock solid thighs and never have to worry about what I eat so to each their own.
49
@Garlic Yum! Yup - use bike and tread daily and ride daily outside. Just ordered the Hydrow too!
3
@Garlic Yum! I've had my Peloton bike since Nov 18 when I was downsized from my job and my husband knew I needed something to distract me from job hunting and the anxiety around being home during the day. Now, I fully enjoy and appreciate having the time now to exercise regularly - yoga, strength training, stretching... And a Peloton ride is a heavy workout! Worth every penny and priceless for how strong and lean you feel. Don't criticize me for be able to afford this - I worked for it!
14
@Garlic Yum! is this satire??
1
My non-internet enabled $149 Amazon stationary bike, that has no Peleton monthly fee, also stands to gain.
26
I have that too and I’m addicted! A Sunny bike!
I have this amazing device called a bicycle. I can exercise on it for fresh air, run errands with it and use it to practice all the social distancing I can stand. It all comes with a $0 monthly fee.
88
@suomi73 I have one too -- and also use these two amazing feet to run and walk outside, also at no cost. Marvelous inventions!
11
@suomi73 I currently live in Toronto and do not feel safe riding a bike. A) I'm not very good at it and I've noticed the cyclists all go really fast and really aggressively. B) There's lots of cars that don't care about cyclists and there's been a lot of accidents because of that. Police are not really enforcing traffic rules. C) Getting a bike stolen is a rite of passage in Toronto... D) I am not allowed to bring my bike up the elevator of my condo. I would have to pay extra for a secured bike rack.
My point is that it's actually not that easy to pick up and ride a bike in a lot of places. There's a lot to think about.
42
@suomi73
I also bike. A lot. And I own a Peloton, which I love. It really is possible to appreciate both, and on those days when I get home late from work in the dark or I only have time for an intense 30 minutes or it’s pouring rain, it really is nice to have the indoor option.
I will never understand all the weird sanctimony in the anti-Peloton crowd. It’s simply a piece of very well designed exercise equipment.
37
Gee, Last Sept. I invested $2500 in a cycle - a Trek e-bike - it goes on the street or on the bike lane in the fresh air, not really close to others, and lets me hear the birds chirp and enjoy the weather.
Sure, when there's snow on the ground or a rainy day, I can't ride, but that is just temporary.
12
@Sara Do both! I do - coached by Peloton indoors regardless of weather, enjoy the birds/fresh air outside as I ride instead of drive.
14
@ScottB I have about $20,000 worth of high end weaving and spinning equipment and make complex fabrics when kept inside. Much more productive than staring at a tablet screen.
4
Try walking, fast or slow. It's easy, it's cheap, you can keep your social distance, and you don't have to touch anything except the ground, with those protective devices called shoes.
64
Or how about the novel idea of riding a real bicycle outside! As far as I’m concerned gyms are for lifting weights or doing an exercise class; if you want to run or cycle, the old fashioned way outdoors is way preferable.
28
@Stephen The problem with it is the majority people stop doing it fairly quickly. What has been successful with Peloton in particular is the way that people are motivated to return often--badges, high fives, new content--sure we are all preschoolers at heart but it works.
23
@Garlic Yum! Yes, the positive feedback and virtual peer pressure is the driving force I suspect. May try one myself as motivation to keep doing something that is at its base level boring is tough for many of us,
9