Health & Fitness
Is Peloton’s fitness app worth using if you don’t own the bike?
When you think about Peloton, it probably calls to mind the expensive at-home stationary bike. But the brand also has astandalone workout appthat can be used even if you, like me, don’t own the company’s exercise equipment.
How does the Peloton app work?
The Peloton app is available on Android, iOS, and most smart TVs. It offers a 30-day free trial; after that, it costs $12.99 a month.
Peloton offers hundreds of classes, including cycling and treadmill instruction as well as yoga, strength training, cardio, outdoor running, and boot camp classes.
But the Peloton app’s most-touted feature is its live classes, in which a trainer leads a session that you can stream onto your phone or device.
How does the Peloton app work?
You can select the live classes you want to take from the schedule tab on the app, and sign up for them in advance or join at any time it’s airing.
When you join a live class, the instructors call out members if they’re celebrating a class milestone or a birthday.
What’s great about the Peloton app?
The live classes were fun and it was cool to know that there were other people sweating along in the class with me.
I didn’t find that the experience of pre-recorded classes differs all that much from live ones. The people currently taking the class are still displayed.
When you finish a class, Peloton gives you a calorie-burn estimate based on your height and weight, or you can connect the app with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor for a more accurate number.
The best part?
My favorite thing about the Peloton app, though, is its audio-only outdoor running and walking sessions.
In these, an instructor guides you through a 20- to 45-minute walk or run, prompting you to accelerate or give yourself a recovery and advising you on how to pace yourself.
What didn’t I like about the Peloton app?
Peloton favors its cycling/ spinning classes, as well as its treadmill ones since they sell (pricey) bikes and treadmills. They cater to the customers that shell out the big bucks.
Sometimes the instructors instructions were a little unclear which made you have to stare at the screen for guidance. And on my phone screen, rather than a tablet or TV, the images looked a little squished.
You are also bound to the music the Peloton instructors pick for the classes—not so great if you want to pick your own music or don’t like working out with music at all.
Even with my beloved outdoor running classes, I found myself avoiding some sessions that I otherwise may have enjoyed because I didn’t want to listen to the playlist.
Should you get the Peloton app?
As someone without a treadmill or stationary bike, I still liked and benefited from the app, but I felt like I wasn’t doing everything that could be done with it (because, well, I wasn’t).
On the other hand, if I hadn’t known about the classes I wasn’t able to do, I don’t think I would have missed them, thanks to the variety of other exercise options offered.
The Peloton app has a 30-day free trial before its monthly fee kicks in, so I think it’s worth a try if you are looking for a new way to exercise at home without sinking a ton of money into it at first.
Just be warned: If you’re already feeling tempted to order the Peloton bike or treadmill, the app won’t make it any easier to resist.