Our Full Peloton Workout App Review: Pros and Cons

McAuliffe Chiropractic Office is awash with questions about exercise and working out. Everybody should be getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It's that simple.

But, we all know how difficult it can be to exercise. It can be difficult to find the time. It can be costly to join a gym. Sometimes it can be difficult to stay motivated after a long day at work.

Then came Coronavirus.

All of a sudden, the gyms that we had never been to were closed. All of those hectic schedules were ruined. All of our motivation was gone.

We all had to find a way for us to exercise, reduce stress, and keep healthy, while staying at home with our families. It seemed impossible to exercise, but it didn't get any easier.

Although it may seem like a great way to exercise at home, it's just as hard as working from home. It can be difficult to stay focused and motivated, and it can be harder to have the same experience as a gym or with a trainer. These are where workout apps come in.

The good news is that there are many fitness apps available for those who want to exercise at home. Many of these apps offer access to their programs.

We're going to take a look at the most popular and well-respected free workout apps right now. This will help you decide which one to try and which ones to keep you going when your life gets back to normal. We'll start with , the most popular workout app in the world.

You've probably seen the ads or memes about the Spin bike. But Peloton offers more than just spin workouts. The fitness app offers a variety of workouts including a treadmill, weight training, bootcamp-style programs, weight training, and outdoor running. There is even yoga and stretching included. It is very comprehensive and has something for everyone.

We spent a week doing only Peloton exercises. Then we decided to divide and conquer and see how many workouts we could do and if this workout lived up to its hype. We wanted to find out how much of a workout Peloton can provide, and whether it is safe for our patients.

Have a look at the thoughts of our team below!

What's the cost?

Many people are curious about the cost of the Peloton App. Peloton currently offers free access to its app during the Coronavirus pandemic. The app can be tried at home for free for 90-days if you sign up before April 30 . The app normally costs $19.49/month if you don't have the Peloton App, or $39/month if you use your app via your Peloton bicycle.

What's the difference?

You can view your class metrics, see how others are doing, and race with other spinners in your live courses to climb the leaderboard. You can access the general fitness app to take the on-demand classes but you won't have the ability to race others or track your personal metrics.

There is also the price of the Peloton bicycle.

Here is where we experienced the greatest sticker shock. Here are the breakdown of prices.

• Basic Package: $2.245 (or $58/month for 39 Months with approved financing)
  • Includes just your Peloton bike
• Essentials Package: $2,404 (or $62/month for 39 Months with approved financing)
  • Included the bike, spin shoes and headphones, as well as one set of weights.
• The Works Package: $2494 (or $64/month, 39 months with approved financing)
  • Include the bike, shoes and headphones.
• The Family Package: $2694 (or $70/month over 39 months when financing is approved)
  • Included are the bike, two pairs shoes, two water bottles and two heart rate monitors. Also included: two pairs of headphones, two sets of headphones, one set of weights, a bike mat, and one set of weights.

This is an expensive way to spend your money, especially if you only get a bike and one type of exercise. For a complete workout, we recommend more than just spinning. A comprehensive workout program should include walking, strength training, stretching, yoga, and outdoor exercise.

Peloton bikes can be very expensive.

We found a backup solution and bought the Sunny Flywheel Bike from Amazon.

It's super quiet, delivered in just two days and is very easy to use. You can stream classes from your smartphone or tablet via the spot on the bike. These are just a few of the other Peloton bikes you can use with this app. These bikes are all well below $750.

• Diamondback Fitness Indoor Cycle Magnet Trainer
• Schwinn Indoor Cycling Bike
• MaxKare Magnetic Exercise Bicycle

To see your workout, you'll need to be capable of streaming the app from your smartphone or tablet.

Our Favorite Exercises

To get the best experience, we tried to do as much as possible with the Peloton App. We did our best to squeeze as many workouts into a week as possible. These are our top picks that we highly recommend.

Leanne Hainsby 30 minute HIIT ride

Pros: The music was not too loud but it was still upbeat. Leanne is a fun person. She is always there for you.

• This was our favorite 30-minute ride, but it is high-energy sprints so it might not be the best choice for those who get bored while spinning.

Overall Rating 4/5

20-Minute HIIT Workout With Robin Arzon

The pros: It was hard and pushes you to the limit. She pushes you further with her ideas about how you should feel. This workout was hard, but she's a great motivator. You don't need a bike, only high-intensity workouts. After just 20 minutes, you'll feel drenched.

• This workout may contain cursing and language, but it is not NSFW for kids.

Overall Rating 5/5

60 Minute Club Bangers Ride With Alex Toussaint

The pros: You will be able to get your sweat on with the 60-minute ride. The class also includes a good warmup and cooldown. Alex is the ideal instructor for anyone who wants to push and motivate them. The ride is challenging, but it's easy enough to have fun without too much dancing.

Overall Rating 5/5

Peloton was able to help us make the most of our experience by highlighting the instructor . Many of these instructors are big personalities so they won't be the right fit.

Safety with Peloton Workouts

We wouldn't want to let you go through this review without mentioning safety. Although a great workout is not easy, it should not be painful and shouldn't cause any unnecessary stress to your body.

You should be careful when climbing on a stationary bicycle. Postural stress can be a serious concern when spinning, especially if you add resistance.

A bike is not designed to be in a perfect position for bipedal (two-legged standing) posture. There are some things you should be aware of.

1. You should set the seat so your knees don't rise above 90 degrees when you ride. Your knees shouldn't touch your elbows. This position should allow you to gain the power and strength that you need for your ride.
2. Place the handle bars so you can sit with your arms outstretched and your chest forward.

We recommend that you spread out long rides and do short rides with strength training, walking, yoga, or other posture-friendly workouts. This is a key to ensuring you don't add another postural stressor into your life, especially if most of your time is spent sitting.

It is important to remember your cardiovascular capabilities, and not just your posture. You want to stress your heart and the corresponding cardiovascular system when you do a cardiovascular exercise.

This will increase your heart rate, and blood pressure. If your chest feels a little pounding, that's a sign your heart is beating harder and your heart rate is increasing. It's also a good idea to breathe heavy. This is because you are increasing oxygen demand through your muscles, especially the ones in your legs. When you exercise the large muscles, such as those in your legs, you may find that you breathe harder and sweat more than with other workouts. This is normal!

Be aware of your limits and not those you experienced when you were a high-achieving student in high school. Listen to your body to know when it is time to stop. We are happy to let you know when you're overdoing it and do our best for you to return to high school!

The Overall Pros of the Peloton App

We compiled a list of the biggest "pros" about the Peloton App after collaborating with many of our MCO relatives who use the app.

• There are many workouts. Peloton is a great option if you don't want to do the exact same workout twice. You can find over 10,000 workouts on the app, with new ones added each day. The app also keeps track of your workouts so you don't have to repeat them.
• It's very easy to use. A complicated interface is the last thing you need to worry about while trying to fit in a workout. Peloton is easy to use, simple and straightforward. You can search for type, length, instructor, and many other options.
• There are 10 types of classes. We tried both types and, while we can see that the Peloton cycling classes are their bread and butter, there are other great workouts. There are many options.
  
  • Cycling
  • Running (treadmill)
  • Outdoor (jogging)
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Strength
  • Bootcamp
  • Cardio
  • Walking
  • Stretching

• They are excellent instructors. We will admit that there were instructors who emphasized their personalities and dance more than we liked (we're talking about Cody Rigsby), but he is a professional dancer and we don't blame him. There's an instructor to suit every taste so it doesn't matter what your preference is.
• You can do short workouts. Peloton offers a variety of short workouts. It doesn't matter if you are looking for a 30-minute ab workout or a 60 minute spin class, there is a workout that fits your needs.

Cons of Peloton App

Peloton is no app that's perfect. We enjoyed the app overall but here are some of our biggest complaints about our Peloton experience.

• It is essential to be familiar with the Peloton lingo. This was the first thing we noticed when using the treadmill and spin bikes. You don't need a Peloton product if you haven't read their tutorial on the lingo (i.e. It can be overwhelming to hear the word cadence instead speed.
• The time remaining in a workout is not visible at the bottom of your screen. It's hard to see when you're still in class.
• The app can't stream to your TV from it. It was frustrating for anyone trying to cast HIIT or strength workouts to the TV from the app. To see your workouts on the big TV, you will need a smart TV that supports the Peloton app.
• It's not all about safety and form. Although there are many classes that are simple enough for beginners, not as many are designed to modify or work around injuries. This is something that we have seen programs such as BeachBody excel at, but it's something you should remember when training with Peloton. It should not be difficult to do a workout, but it should give you some tips on how to adapt certain exercises to suit your needs.

• That commercial. We haven't forgotten...

Should You Give The Peloton App a Try?

In simple terms, yes.

McAuliffe Chiropractic Office loved the Peloton App. This program is great for anyone who loves to spin and for anyone who wants to do weight training, HIIT, or bodyweight workouts at their own pace. While Dr. Terence enjoyed some of the HIIT or bootcamp workouts and his wife Lisa preferred the outdoor running and spin classes, It's great because there is something for everyone.

Peloton offers free access to their app to anyone who wants to keep fit at home, even though it is currently midst the COVID-19 pandemic. This offer is great for accessing so many types of workouts. Keep in mind that the app will cost $19.49/month for non Peloton bike owners, and $39/month if you have the bike. This is a steep price for workout apps.

This is the perfect time to test out this offer and see if you'd like to continue paying for Peloton.

Before you start any new exercise program, it is a good idea to consult your doctor. Before you start this exercise, please feel free to consult with your doctor in person or by phone. You should stop exercising if you feel pain, soreness, or are concerned about an injury. Call our office at 301-776 0755 or book a appointment online.