It’s hard to feel driven to exercise during quarantine when you don’t know how long you’ll be stuck at home; what’s the point? However, a machine called the Peloton has found popularity in 2020 for high quality exercises, all while at home.

The Peloton, introduced to the world in 2014, is a high caliber, indoor bicycle equipped with a screen that lets you participate in live workouts, ride with other people, and workout in a prerecorded class. There is also a leaderboard, which helps motivate people to workout more because you can see your ranking versus other peoples’. The rankings are based on something called “output,” or the amount of energy that you are spending while working out.

There are many different kinds of workouts you can do on the Peloton. For example, there are multiple rigorous classes designed only for riding the bike, but also classes where you ride the bike and also weight lifting. Within these categories, you can choose whether you want a 10, 20, 30, 40, etc. minute ride. You can also choose what classes you want to participate in with the music that they play while you workout. There are pop workout classes, 80s music, rock, and so on.

Furthermore, there are specific instructors that you may want to workout with that you can choose. There are thousands of classes that you can filter to your preferences making the workout not only strengthening, but enjoyable. Along with the pre-recorded classes, there are around 10 to 14 live classes per day, where you can tune in and ride with not only the instructor, but other people around the world who are getting in their workout. There are also scenic rides, with no instructor- instead, you can ride the Peloton virtually around the world at different destinations, like Hawaii or Switzerland. All these workouts still show your output.

The Peloton is a great indoor machine; however, there is one downside. It is very costly, and requires some space and maintenance. A great substitute for the Peloton bike is the Peloton App. It has many classes that you can stream, for cardio, abs, arms, and more. Though there is a subscription fee, the value you get is so much more than what you pay for if you use it often.

During quarantine, the Peloton bike has been a helpful tool for many students at Harvard-Westlake (HW). “I like that because gyms may not be open there is an alternative”, Simone Puathasnanon ‘26 said in a survey sent to HW Middle School. “I also never would have seen myself doing this type of exercise a year ago.”

Other students share similar sentiments. “I like that I’m able to ride the Peloton whenever I feel like it in quarantine- it’s easy and efficient,” Chloe Dolkart ‘24 said. “It’s a great challenge and it makes me feel very motivated to workout without being too overbearing.”