Peloton Instructor Ally Love Talks Fashion, Compromise and Her Favorite Way to Drink More Water (EXCLUSIVE)
Pelton instructor, Today Show on-air contributor and Brooklyn Nets in-arena host Ally Love is certainly no stranger to being busy. But even when she is out and about in Manhattan, Love always makes sure to have one thing with her: her Contigo water bottle.
Love recently sat down with First for Women to talk more about her love for these water bottles, what led her to design some and how she recommends people keep up their water intake. Keep scrolling for more.
First for Women: What drew you to this team-up with Contigo Water Bottles? Is there anything specific about the collaboration that you are most excited to share with people?
Ally Love: This collaboration is important because it very much aligns with my knowledge of who I am. I believe that hydration impacts us. We forget three small things: breathing, how we breathe and, sometimes, being mindful of breath. Be mindful in general of breathing and hydrating. These small little things create a huge impact, and if we don't do them, we start to see their effects on the other side. That's something that comes up a lot when folks start their workout, and then after, they're like, “Oh my god, I knew I was supposed to do this.” But then when you do it, you're, like, “I'm glad I did.” You feel the benefit of something that is so well known, so small, but has that great, massive effect.
So in terms of this partnership, as I said, it was very aligned with my core values. Something that I talked about on the bike and the Today show is hydration to make sure you're avoiding headaches, grogginess, foggy brain, or even the emotional stress of being dehydrated. Unfortunately, my lifetime goal is to be the most patient person, and I recognize that being hydrated can add to that patience. So, just being mindful that this partnership, as I said, uniquely reminds me of who I am, what my core values are and the impact of small things having a huge change or having a huge impact.
I've always respected Contigo because it's accessible. I don't come from a place where we had the luxury of buying everything we wanted. We were the folks that went to the market, and we got things that were affordable. Contigo water bottles are in a space that is accessible to everyone.
Another thing that was interesting about this partnership with Contigo is that I'm from Miami. I'm not Latin, but Latin culture is really embedded in you when you’re born and raised in Miami, Florida. And Contigo, in Spanish, means with you, so I felt completely connected to the brand, not only with the accessibility but also with the overall name in itself. It just reminds me of growing up.
So, when I look at this partnership, it aligns with my core values of wanting to determine what they are, wanting it to be acceptable, wanting it to be fun and stylish without compromising any of those things, and not necessarily making things exclusive.
FFW: You have recently begun to take a step forward in the design world with these water bottles and your work with Peloton; how has that transition been for you? Is there something that surprised you about the process?
Ally Love: I'll start with the surprise part. My husband told me that you really enjoy designing. and I was, like, “Man, I don't know. It's fine.” But then, more people kept telling me that I was good at it, and when people told me I was good at something, I started to practice it and continued to practice it even at this point in my career.
The design process itself has been very collaborative. I picked the silhouetted water bottles based on things that were important to me. I made sure that they fit into the cup holder on treadmills. I'm a bike instructor, and I teach on the bike, so I made sure that the folks who follow me could use them on the bike, on the app, or at the gym. And in terms of the design feature, it’s leakproof.
The other thing is the texture of the design. In both the cow print and the houndstooth print, the texture is raised off the bottle. And the reason for that is I get really hot and sweaty when I teach in the studio. I'm sweating everywhere, so making sure that I can grip water bottle is number one and, number two, so that I have some sensory out of the water bottle, whether you have sensory or accessibility issues, making sure that it is accessible. By raising the print off the bottle, it becomes a little less slippery and a little bit less challenging for it to fall out of your hands if you're holding it.
I didn’t grow up in fashion, but when I moved to New York City, I fell in love with fashion, and the houndstooth print is something that everyone knows. Whether you have followed fashion for years or have just started following it recently, you know what that point is, because it stands the test of time.
I’m also in my cowgirl era, it’s what I wore to Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour, so I wanted to get that in there as well.
So the cow print shows where I am now, and the houndstooth shows that things stand the rest of time. So there's comfort and familiarity, and then it's varying itself in different colors.
FFW: What was your inspiration for the design of the water bottles? Was there one thing you wanted to include?
Ally Love: I think it was the idea of not compromising. I think life is often about compromising. And so, for me, I'd like to find places and spaces where compromising is as easy as possible.
When it came to the design, I wanted something that would visually appeal to the masses while also being durable enough to be okay if someone dropped it.
FFW: How do you recommend people increase their daily water intake? Is there one tried-and-true method you would like to use?
Ally Love: You never want to settle your hydration. Get your natural water as pure as possible. So, have your water in a water bottle, but then also have a supplement rehydration, whether it is an electrolyte or even food, like watermelon or cucumber.
So I think instead of living your life, like, “Oh, I'm just going to drink my water, as I do normally when it's hot outside,” especially now that we are going from summer to fall, we need to shift that thinking to, “How much can you double that hydration?” Whether it's making protein shakes water-based or, again, eating fruits that have higher water content, you need to try and double your water intake.
Also, try to figure out your water drinking techniques during the early morning, and make sure you hydrate before you start to work out, during your workout, and after your workout.
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