Peloton is often viewed as a solitary at-home workout experience, but the platform offers a surprisingly robust suite of features designed to connect you with friends and workout buddies. Exercising with friends can add variety, accountability, and a whole lot of fun to your fitness routine. So, if you’re looking to spice up your Peloton experience, gather your friends and get ready to sweat together!
Why Workout With Friends on Peloton?
Working out with friends, whether in person or virtually, offers numerous benefits:
- Increased Accountability: Knowing that others are counting on you to show up for a workout can significantly boost your motivation and commitment.
- Enhanced Motivation: Exercising with friends can make workouts more enjoyable and less of a chore. The friendly competition and shared encouragement can push you to work harder and achieve more.
- Variety and Fun: Coordinating workouts with friends can expose you to new classes, instructors, and workout types that you might not have tried on your own.
- Social Connection: Working out together provides a sense of community and belonging, combating the isolation that can sometimes accompany at-home fitness.
- Shared Milestones: Celebrating fitness achievements with friends can make the journey even more rewarding.
How to Connect With Friends on Peloton
Peloton offers several ways to connect and workout with friends:
1. Following Friends
The first step to working out with friends is to connect with them on the Peloton platform.
- Find Friends: Search for friends using their Leaderboard name within your Peloton profile on the web or in the app.
- Follow: Once you find your friends, follow them to see their workout history, overall profile, and scheduled classes.
2. Scheduling Sessions
Peloton’s “Sessions” feature allows you to schedule on-demand classes with friends, creating a virtual workout party.
- Choose a Class: Navigate to any on-demand class in the Peloton app (ideally on your phone for easier navigation). Peloton recommends rides or runs that are 20 minutes or longer.
- Invite Friends: Look for the “Invite” button, typically located next to options like “Add to Stack” and “Schedule.”
- Select Friends: Choose the friends you want to invite from your list of followers. You can invite multiple friends.
- Schedule Date and Time: Select a date and time for the session.
- Choose a Reason: You can personalize the invite by selecting a reason for the joint workout, such as a celebration, birthday, or “just because.”
- Confirmation: Review the confirmation page detailing the class, time, and invitees, then send the invitation.
- Calendar Reminder: Set a calendar reminder to ensure you and your friends don’t miss the scheduled session. You can add the class to your Google Calendar or iCal and set an alert notification.
- Join the Session: A few minutes before the start time, open the Peloton app and navigate to the Calendar button, then select “My schedule.” Tap on the scheduled class and hit “Join Session.”
- Small Leaderboard: Start in sync with your friends and push yourself harder alongside a smaller Leaderboard.
3. Taking Live Classes Together
Peloton makes it easy to join friends in live classes for a shared workout experience.
- Find the “Invite” Button: Any time you select a class, whether on your Bike, Tread, Row, phone, tablet, or Roku, look for the “Invite” button.
- Invite Friends: Select the name of the person you’d like to work out with.
- Coordinate: It’s best to coordinate with your friends via text or call to agree on the workout type, music genre, and time of day.
- Enjoy the Live Class: As you enter the class, proceed as normal and enjoy the shared energy of the live workout.
4. “Here Now” Feature
The “Here Now” feature lets you see which of your friends are currently working out and join them in an on-demand class.
- Check “Here Now”: Look for the “Here Now” tab or section in the Peloton app or on your device.
- Join Friends: If you see a friend who is currently in a class, you can join them and workout together.
5. High Fives
Sending and receiving “High Fives” during workouts is a simple way to show encouragement and support.
- Send High Fives: During a live or on-demand class (using the “Here Now” feature or on your iOS app), tap a member’s avatar next to their Leaderboard name to send a High Five.
6. Peloton Teams
The “Teams” feature allows you to create teams with friends and create your own workout challenges.
- Create a Team: In the Peloton app, create a team and invite your friends to join.
- Create Challenges: Once your team is formed, you can create custom workout challenges for your team members to compete in. Some default options include completing 3 workouts within 7 days, or challenging teammates to see who can work out the most amount of time within a 2-week period.
- Weekly Leaderboard: Track your team’s progress and see who’s leading the challenges on the weekly leaderboard.
7. Tags
Tags allow you to connect with other members who share your interests or affiliations.
- Add Tags: Add up to 10 tags to your profile, representing your college alumni group, hometown, workplace, or other communities.
- Select a Primary Tag: Before each workout, select the tag you want to set as primary.
- Swarm Classes: Join classes with other members who share your tag and connect with them on the Leaderboard.
Tips for a Successful Group Peloton Workout
To make the most of your Peloton workouts with friends, keep these tips in mind:
- Communication is Key: Coordinate with your friends beforehand to agree on the class type, instructor, music, and difficulty level.
- Schedule in Advance: Use the scheduling feature to plan your workouts and send reminders to your friends.
- Be Flexible: Life happens, so be understanding if a friend needs to reschedule or cancel.
- Encourage and Support: Cheer each other on during workouts and celebrate each other’s achievements.
- Have Fun: The most important thing is to enjoy the experience and build camaraderie with your friends.
Beyond the Bike: Other Ways to Connect
Peloton offers community features beyond the bike and tread:
- Official Peloton Member Page on Facebook: Join the Official Peloton Member Page on Facebook to connect with other members, share your milestones, and find inspiration.
- Peloton Apparel Instagram: Share photos of yourself wearing Peloton apparel and connect with other fashion-minded members.
- Local Events: Keep an eye out for local Peloton events in your area to meet fellow members in person.
Sample Peloton Workout Plans with Friends
Here are a couple of sample workout plans you can do with friends on Peloton:
Plan 1: Weekly Variety
- Monday: 30-minute live cycling class together
- Wednesday: 30-minute on-demand strength class (choose the same class or different classes and do “Here Now”)
- Friday: 45-minute scenic run or walk together
- Sunday: 60-minute yoga or meditation session
Plan 2: Challenge-Focused
- Set a Team Challenge: Create a Peloton Team and set a challenge to complete a certain number of workouts or minutes of exercise each week.
- Track Progress: Monitor your team’s progress on the weekly leaderboard and encourage each other to reach your goals.
- Celebrate Success: Reward yourselves with a virtual or in-person celebration when you achieve your challenge.
Get Moving Together!
Working out with friends on Peloton can transform your fitness routine into a fun, social, and motivating experience. With the platform’s various connection features, it’s easier than ever to find workout buddies, schedule sessions, and cheer each other on. So, gather your friends, hop on your bikes or treads, and get ready to crush your fitness goals together!
