During the Pandemic, She Starting Doing Peloton Spin Classes — and Dropped 40 Pounds
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Age: 29
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Occupation: Design and marketing
Time cycling: 2 years
Start weight: 206
End weight: 165
Reason for Cycling: Spin classes are my favorite way to cycle and the best for a full-body workout. It is so easy to get lost in the music and push yourself—they really feel more like a dance party than a killer workout.
When I started college in 2010, I gained between 20 and 30 pounds. I joined a gym but only went a handful of times. Around the same time, I started to notice lower back pain whenever I tried to do any kind of rigorous exercise; doctors were never able to diagnose the cause or treat it.
In 2015, when I was 23, my best friend loved to work out and go to spin classes. When we got together, our plans often included a workout—a spin class or a group fitness class at Equinox. Spinning was difficult for me; I sat in the back row of the studio and did the best I could to keep up.
Finally, in May 2019, I joined Equinox and began my fitness journey. I found two trainers whose classes I enjoyed, so I started doing spin classes two to three times a week and group fitness classes twice a week. But by October, my pain spread from my lower back across my body. I stopped going to the gym, and I gained back a lot of the weight I had lost. But finally, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and found a medication that made me completely pain-free.
When I was furloughed from my job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I suddenly had the time to really focus on my health. After weighing 200 pounds for the last several years, I decided that I was going to give weight loss a real chance.
At the end of June 2020, I downloaded the Peloton app, pulled out my Sunny Fitness stationary bike that had been sitting in storage for several years, and dusted off some dumbbells that I had laying around. I loved the energy in all of the Peloton workouts that I streamed through the app, and I especially loved instructor Cody Rigsby’s classes. Before long, I was doing a spin class almost every day, and the weight started falling off. My workout routine is a 30-minute Peloton ride, with either a Peloton strength, barre, or pilates class. I also walk with my dog for at least half an hour every day.
In addition, I started to eat healthier. Before I started my Peloton journey, I did not have great portion control; I have a massive sweet tooth and a serious love of carbs, so now I try to cut down on sweets and carbs without eliminating them completely. I bought an Apple Watch to help motivate me to keep moving and track my workouts.
In November 2020, I upgraded from my inexpensive stationary bike to the Peloton bike. It was the best purchase I have ever made. Now, nine months after restarting my weight-loss journey, I have dropped 40 pounds, passing my weight-loss goal, and I am happier and healthier than I have been in a long time.
Now, I am looking forward to reaching my next goal of riding 50 miles in my first Pelofondo, a long-distance event for Peloton riders that focuses on mileage. Although my journey has certainly not been linear, I have seen what a healthy lifestyle can do for my body and mental health.
For other cyclists looking to start a weight-loss journey, remember that it is okay to get derailed. What matters is that you don’t give up, and you just keep moving. I started many times throughout my journey for different reasons, but when I see side-by-side photos of the 40 pounds I have lost, feel my clothes fit differently, and notice the confidence I have gained—that is the biggest motivator of all. I have reached a level of happiness in my own skin that I never even dreamed was possible.
Spinning is such a fun way to work out. When you’re in the saddle singing and dancing your way through a class, it is so much more than just a workout. I hear a lot of people who have seen spin classes say that it looks intimidating, but the only way you’ll find out if you love it is to just give it a try.
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