I have a popular post I wrote praising Peloton, in it I mention using Peloton postpartum to lose weight. I wanted to expand on this in this post because I know it is a huge interest to many moms. I lost about 20 some pounds give or take, using the Peloton bike.
Becoming a mom is part of what led to me finding Peloton, and discovering the first exercise I have stuck with in my adult life.
I have three kids. During all of my pregnancies and the years between them, I did not participate consistently in any kind of exercise beyond walking a lot.
I had major symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) during my third pregnancy. The pain lingered after she was born but after a couple of months I tried to start exercising again and injured myself and ended up in the emergency room unable to walk.
Turns out I had a tilted pelvis and major issues after having three babies pretty much back to back. My pelvic floor and core were shot and needed a lot of time to repair.
After a couple of months of rest I received physical therapy. Eventually I asked my physical therapist what kind of exercise would be good for someone with my issues. She said cycling, and the Peloton was the first thing to pop in my head. This was almost four years ago so Peloton wasn't quite as big as it is now, but I was using my injury as an excuse to go for it.
I am now almost four years into my Peloton journey and there is no sign of quitting anywhere on the horizon. Peloton has consistently kept me hooked with not only cycling, but tons of other content as well.
I can get all my fitness goals met through their app alone. I recently decided to upgrade my bike as well. After almost four years of using my original bike I am upgrading to the new bike+.
Did Peloton help me lose the postpartum weight?
Absolutely! Like many new moms I wanted to lose the weight ASAP. Trying to get back in shape is what led me to getting injured in the first place.
We really need to be patient with our postpartum bodies but I know first hand patience is hard.
I lost between 20 - 30 pounds the year after my third baby was born once I started using the Peloton bike consistently. Before the bike I had lost about 10 or so (pretty much just birthing the baby) hence the 20 - 30, some of that was before the bike.
While I hear over and over that you can't out exercise your diet, and eating well is key, I was able to lose a lot that first year without much dieting. I was breastfeeding as well.
Once I lost the initial weight it did kind of stop, but Peloton has me in better shape then I was before kids.
Here are the reasons Peloton is great for postpartum moms:
Cycling is easy on our postpartum bodies. This was number one for me. My recovery after my third baby was slow. I had never taken a spin class or ridden a bike since childhood.
Cycling allowed me to get stronger than I was before having kids, and do it safely. The additional classes and content are a major bonus. I had no idea all the content and community I was about to receive when I chose Peloton for this reason.
And of course having a workout you love will lead to that postpartum weight loss.
Peloton is a convenient workout in your home. Even before a pandemic and gyms being closed, it is hard to get away and take time for yourself as a mom.
When I became a mom for the first time any self care was pretty much shelved. If only I knew about Peloton then. Having a way to squeeze in workouts between naps and childcare is amazing. It takes much less time than driving to a gym, finding child care, etc.
Peloton instructors are certified in prenatal and postnatal exercise. A few of the instructors at Peloton hold this certification. There are core programs to specifically deal with diastasis recti.
There is also prenatal and postnatal yoga classes. One of my favorite Peloton instructors, Robin Arzon is currently pregnant and plans to share her entire pregnancy while teaching classes. I think this is huge for new moms and moms to be. Anyone with a Peloton already knows how amazing Robin is as an instructor but this will add a new dimension to her teachings. She is also certified in prenatal and postnatal fitness.
The Peloton community. When I bought my bike I had no idea I was gaining a community. I joined the original Peloton member Facebook page and while it is supportive and offers lots of good advice, there are many Peloton groups specifically for moms.
There is an official Peloton moms group, a breastfeeding Peloton moms group, a working moms group, and many other spin off mom groups I have joined as well.
When I became a mom for the first time support from mom groups is what got me through many of those early lonely days. Any mom knows support from these groups continues to be an essential part of parenthood. The Peloton moms group is one of my favorite I have ever joined.
Stress and anxiety relief. I have dealt with postpartum anxiety after the birth of my second and third baby. Peloton is such a great anxiety buster. It will not cure everything, but it's a huge help for managing these symptoms of new motherhood.
The content. I already mentioned how hard it is to find time to exercise as a new mom. Cycling was the major draw for me to Peloton. But Peloton offers way more than cycling, they now have two treadmill models if running is more your thing.
There is also strength training, dance cardio, resistance band strength training, boot camp classes for the bike and treadmill, yoga, barre classes, outdoor classes - you listen while walking or running, stretching and foam rolling, and meditations.
They even started offering family content last spring when we were all stuck in our homes. I used them as PE for my kids while doing distance learning.
Training plans. Have you ever wanted to start exercising but had no idea how to start, what to do first, and what order or amount of workouts to do to get results? That's me all the time. If left alone I have no idea what to do and probably end up doing nothing as a result.
This is never an issue with Peloton. They have many training plans available on their app. There are also challenges and other fun ways to keep yourself accountable.
Conclusion
Being a mom is hard, all encompassing and demanding. Like many mothers I felt I lost a little bit of myself when I became a parent.
Caring for others and putting yourself last can take a toll on our psyche, our self confidence, and more. Having something for yourself that eases stress, gives you some fun time away from the family, and adds to your health is priceless.
While losing some of the postpartum weight was great I do not work out anymore to lose weight. I do it to have stress relief for myself, and be healthy for my family. I also gained a ton of friends and my few trips to NYC to ride at the Peloton studio (before pandemic) were amazing girl trips I took for myself with my best friend.
Peloton has become much more than a stationary bike in my house, it has become a hobby and part of my life. This gave me back some of my pre-parent self and has helped my self esteem tremendously.
For that reason I absolutely recommend Peloton to postpartum moms. I use the bike so that is where my personal experience lies but I know a lot of moms love the treadmill too.
Please let me know if you have any questions about the bike or parenting in general!
If you are looking for a referral code here you go - DKDH9K
If you would like to read my original Peloton review you can find it here.
Peloton Products at Amazon
Peloton now sells many of my favorite products on Amazon, including the Peloton bike and the new and improved heart rate monitor!
Peloton Guide | Strength Training Device with Built-In Camera Technology, Movement Tracker, and Handheld Remote with Voice Activation
Peloton Heart Rate Band | Arm Band with Rechargeable Battery, Sweatproof Design, and Bluetooth® Compatibility - Small
Peloton Light Weights | Set of Two Sweat-Proof Weights with Nonslip Grip, Designed to Fit in the Back of Peloton Bike and Bike+ - 3 lb
Peloton Altos Cycling Shoes for Bike and Bike+ with Single Hook and Loop Strap and Delta-Compatible Bike Cleats
Peloton Bike Mat | 72” x 36” with 4 mm Thickness, Compatible with Peloton Bike or Bike+
Sandy
Tuesday 20th of July 2021
Hello,
How did you manage to adjust to the peloton bike seat? Did you change it? I just received my bike three days ago and it hurts my pelvic bones when I sit on it for more than a few minutes. My stitches already healed. I’m not sure if I just need time to adjust. But I’ve also had some major pain and tough recovery with my pelvic area.
Thank you in advance!
Jennifer Brenan
Thursday 26th of August 2021
Sorry for the major delay in response. I used a gel seat in the beginning but you do get used to it eventually. You probably hopefully are used to it by now.
GF
Friday 29th of January 2021
How do you find the peloton instructors that deal with diastasis recti?
Jennifer Brenan
Tuesday 2nd of February 2021
Hi, I know Kristin (Yoga) does. And Emma has a core series which focuses on it. Robin has also added in some prenatal classes. But definitely the Kristin postnatal yoga should address it.