Peloton For Seniors – Is It Good For You?

Welcome friend! In this article, you will learn about peloton for seniors. Is Peloton suitable for seniors, what features do they offer, and so on?

You might have heard about Peloton but are not sure about if it’s suitable for seniors. Peloton has become really popular in the past years. Especially during the pandemic.

You might think that Peloton is just an exercise bike brand. But they are actually much more than that. They offer an on-demand platform for virtual exercise classes.

This brings instructed gym classes to your home. Some people find classes much more motivating than exercising by themselves without a routine.

The biggest question in your mind is probably if Peloton is suitable for seniors. That is what I aim to answer with this article.

So without further ado, let’s get started by looking at what exactly Peloton is.

What Is Peloton

Peloton Interactive is an American company. They offer a platform for virtual exercise classes with a variety of their own exercise machines.

Peloton is probably most well known for its exercise bikes and accompanying classes. These were their first products 10 years ago when the company was founded in 2012.

These days they offer also a treadmill known as Peloton Tread. They have also introduced an interactive strength training program.

This is known as the Peloton Guide. It’s basically a camera that follows your movements and gives instructions based on your performance.

Here’s a short introduction for the Guide from Peloton YouTube channel (YouTube embed. Content not created or owned by ElderStrength.com)

The name Peloton actually comes from the cycling world. Peloton means the main rider group in a cycling race.

Peloton has become very popular during the past few years. The demand for high-quality on-demand virtual classes has increased as many people prefer to exercise at home.

The pandemic exploded this demand further as many gyms were closed due to restrictions. Peloton was there to answer this demand and became quite successful.

What Does Peloton Cost

Currently, the cost of Peloton is a monthly $12.99 subscription for the virtual classes in their app. There is a free 30-day trial period. This does not include the exercise machines, however.

Many of their virtual classes require a full access membership that costs currently $39.99. Check carefully what type of membership or app you need when deciding on a Peloton product.

So with Peloton, you are looking at a monthly expense with a significant investment in an indoor bike, treadmill, or a Guide.

The Peloton Bike+ currently costs between $1,995 and $2,535 depending on accessories. So it’s a significant investment.

They also offer a more affordable bike version for $1,195 to $1,735 depending on the accessories.

The Peloton Tread currently costs between $2,345  and $ 2,965 depending on the accessories.

Peloton Guide starts at $295 but the strength training equipment associated with it cost between $545 to $1,270.

Benefits Of Virtual Exercise Classes

You might be wondering if there is any benefit to paying for virtual exercise glasses. Well, it depends.

You see, the biggest problem with exercise is getting started and forming a routine. Most people fail to exercise enough because they lack a routine.

It’s very easy to skip a workout if you are feeling tired and don’t feel like it. Especially if there is no goal or routine in your exercise.

Some people find it much easier to form an exercise routine by participating in exercise glasses. All you have to do is to show up and a professional will guide you through the session.

Peloton brings this to your home. Just get on the bike or treadmill, launch the app and get going.

Virtual exercise glasses can also help you exercise much more in a session than you would alone. It’s much easier to give up on your own than when there is someone else giving instructions. Even if they are virtual recordings.

Peloton For Seniors

So is Peloton suitable for you if you are a senior? Well in my opinion it depends.

Peloton offers a wide variety of exercises with different intensity levels. So they are scalable based on your current fitness level for seniors as well.

It’s important to realize that you have to be able to monitor your own training with virtual classes. It can be easy to push yourself too hard in the beginning. So it’s important to take it easy and increase training gradually.

In my opinion, the one major problem is that the Peloton products are likely not designed with seniors in mind. This means that the adjustments might not be perfect if you have arthritis for example.

I talked about this in the article Best Recumbent Bike For Seniors With Arthritis. Adjustability and suitability for your proportions are important in an exercise bike if you have arthritis.

Recumbent exercise bikes are also more suitable for most seniors. Because they are easier on your back. Unfortunately, Peloton doesn’t appear to offer a recumbent bike currently in its line-up.

The best way to find out if Peloton bikes or treadmills are comfortable for you is to go to a local showroom and test them. You can find out the closest location to you on the Peloton website.

Finally, Peloton can be a bit expensive if you are living on a pension and don’t have too much wealth to spare. There are much more affordable options for getting your exercise needs met.

Options For Peloton For Seniors

There are a lot of options for Peloton that depend on your needs. Peloton is best for cardiovascular exercise but the Peloton Guide can also offer a great guided strength training class.

Nordictrack is probably one of the closest competitors for Peloton. Their product line is similar but a bit more affordable.

The same downsides apply to Nordictrack as Peloton. You should try out their product before deciding which to get. You can learn more about Nordicktrack in the article Nordictrack For Seniors.

A more affordable option is to get a decent exercise bike without on-demand exercise classes. I talked more about this in the article Best Exercise Bikes For Seniors.

Then there is always the option of going to a local gym for indoor cycling classes. Gyms do have monthly fees, but you have to keep in mind that you don’t have to buy or finance expensive bikes or treadmills. I talked more about indoor cycling at gyms in the article Indoor Cycling For Seniors.

Finally, for strength training, there are options that are more effective for seniors that want to get stronger. My personal favorite for seniors is Starting Strength. If there is a Starting Strength gym near you, it’s probably one of the best ways for seniors to get started with strength training.

If you can find a local Crossfit or powerlifting gym that offer courses for seniors, they are also a great option.

Conclusion

I hope you found this post about Peloton for seniors useful. If you have any questions you can leave them below and I’ll do my best to help you out.

Peloton can definitely be a good option for you if you don’t mind the expenses and the exercise machines are comfortable for you. Many seniors benefit from the interactive classes and find them motivating.

Just beware of all the costs and make sure to take it easy in the beginning so you don’t over-exert yourself.

If you find Peloton too expensive or not suitable for you, there are fortunately many options for cardio and strength training out there. As I outlined in the article.

Thanks for reading and see you next time!