POPSUGAR UK

Everything You Need to Know Before Spending £13 a Month on the Peloton Fitness App

18/04/2020 - 04:15 PM

At-home workouts [1] are having a real moment right now, and that's for good reason. Not only are they convenient, but home workouts also (often) require very few pieces of equipment and are perfect for days when you don't have the desire (or luxury) to haul yourself to the gym. But even when I'm working out at home [2], I still prefer to take gym classes because, I'm going to be honest with you, I never push myself as hard as when I attempt a solo session.

That's where handy resources like the Peloton app [3] come in. You might have heard of the Peloton bike: an at-home stationary bike that comes packed with guided classes that you can do from the comfort of your living room.

Well, the Peloton app is exactly the same thing, just without the bike. Jam-packed with easy-to-follow workouts [4], the app is reasonably priced and has enough variety to keep me coming back for the next workout. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know before taking the plunge and signing up.

How Much Does the Peloton App Cost?

The Peloton app [5] has one simple membership cost of £12.99 per month, which gives you full access to Peloton workouts through the app through your phone, TV, and Kindle. Better than that, you get a 90-day free trial (if you sign up before 30 April, when it will return to the usual 30-day trial), so you can be sure you like it before committing to the monthly fee.

The Workout Classes

The Peloton app basically has a workout style for everyone, whether you prefer to exercise outside, inside, with equipment, or without. Finding a workout that suits your personal goal (and current mood) is super simple. All you need to do is choose a category, then scroll until you find a class that is the right duration and difficulty level.

In addition to the multitude of classes built into the app, there are also live classes where you can follow along with a trainer in real time. Half an hour before a class, a timer will appear at the top of the app's homepage, so you can easily join, and if you turn on push notifications, you'll be alerted before the class starts.

It's also worth noting that the app was originally designed for people who own a Peloton bike. That means you can book into live cycling classes through the schedule section of the app if you have a bike at home.

The Programs

In addition to the huge catalogue of one-off classes, the Peloton app also has guided programs that have been created to help you achieve a particular fitness goal. For example, there's a six-week running program that is designed to help you train for a marathon. That means, for every single day of the week, for six weeks, you will have a video that takes you through every run, meditation session, warmup, and strength session.

They aren't all about getting sweaty, though. There are also two-week meditation workshops to help promote sleep and yoga programs that are perfect for beginners who want to learn the basics.

The Challenges

If you need a challenge to keep you accountable, then you'll be pleased to know the Peloton app has a few of those, too. There are challenges for beginners, which promote working out five times per month, and more extreme ones like the Spring Launch Program, which will push you to take a class every day for 30 days. The coolest thing about this section of the app is that you can see how many other users have opted to take part around the world, and there are challenge tiers, so you can earn virtual awards when you reach milestones.

The Interface and Experience

The Peloton app's user interface can be summed up in one word: sleek. The workouts are really simply laid out in their categories, so you can easily select whatever you're in the mood for when you log on. A few categories include "Bootcamp Picks," "Outdoor Running," "Meditation Picks," and "Strength Picks" — as you can see, they're pretty self-explanatory.

Once you select a class, you'll also be able to see a bunch of stats relating to the workout, such as reviews, level of difficulty, as well as a brief description of the class. But my favourite feature is that you can also see the full playlist that'll play during the class, because we all know there's nothing worse than psyching yourself up for a workout, only to find that the music sucks.

I also really like the minimalist design of the app because, rightly or wrongly, if an app is ugly, I'm less likely to use it. For starters, the photography is beautiful (which I appreciate), but I also love how the text is clean, isn't fussy, and doesn't have loads of colours and, well, distractions. Plus, if you have an Amazon Fire TV Stick [6] (£20, originally £40), or Apple TV [7] (£150) you can download the Peloton app straight onto your TV [8] to stream classes on the big screen. Overall, the Peloton app is a great resource for anyone who wants to work out outside a gym, but since it can also be used inside a gym, it's the perfect all-rounder, and I think £13 per month is a pretty good deal.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/fitness/peloton-fitness-app-47366219