Happy Wednesday! We’ve had a few days in the 30s and 40s here in Houston, but it’s starting to warm back up. That said, I’m super thankful for our home gym, because the cold weather makes me want to hibernate. But, I’ve got no excuses since our gym is right here in our garage.
If you are new around here, I’ll fill you in on a bit of backstory about the garage. When we were looking for houses, having space for a home gym was on our list. It wasn’t necessarily a must-have, because we had other things that needed to take priority (like our home offices). The home gym was just kind of one of those things that would be nice if the house had a spot for one.
Garage Gym
Well, the previous owners of our house had converted their garage into gym space. It came with an air conditioner, and it was fully insulated and wired for a TV and electrical outlets. The guy also had a squat rack mounted to the wall. Now, Aaron wanted both the squat rack and the AC, which the previous owners were going to take with them. And, it turned into two of the biggest factors during our negotiations. We didn’t want to have to patch, repair and ultimately buy a new A/C unit (and felt the same about the squat rack). The owner ended up taking his squat rack, but leaving the A/C, and he agreed to patch, repair and paint the garage walls. So, it ended up being a win win.
Because Aaron is in the auto industry, he switches out his car on a very frequent basis, so parking in the garage in not a necessity for him. So, we really just needed garage space for my car. Now, we use half of the garage for our home gym – and the other half for storage and parking space for my car.
Over this last year, Aaron has added our own squat rack, and we’ve got a bike in there also (which admittedly, rarely gets used). I have been hanging onto my gym membership, but I haven’t been since March 2020. I prefer to do Kira Stokes workouts. Lately, Aaron has been talking about a treadmill, which I know he would use. And, as you all know, my preference is to run outside.
Aaron surprised me and bought a Peloton Tread right before Thanksgiving. And to be honest with you, I didn’t think I would use it much. I had my workout routine going strong, and I wasn’t sure how well a treadmill would serve me. But, through a couple of cold weather days in there, some long work days, and I found myself hopping on.
I’ve waited a bit to actually post about this because I wanted to see if I liked it and what all I liked about it. And, I’m happy to say that I used it pretty consistently through the month of December.
Three things I love about the Peloton Tread
There are three really specific things I like about this treadmill – and Peloton in general. I wasn’t buying into the hype at first because I am not really a person who needs community when I work out. I’m pretty self-motivated. But, I’ve definitely changed my mind on a few things.
- Competitive aspect: I love love love the competitive aspect of the Peloton. Whether you are taking a live class (which I love), or a recorded class, there are always other people in there to push you and motivate you. I find myself watching that leaderboard closely, and I love the feeling of beating my own personal records – and seeing myself advance through the leaderboard. It keeps your mind off the fact that you are running on a treadmill. I love the fact that you can add live classes to your schedule – just like you would show up to a class at the gym!
2. The instructors/music: I normally make my own running playlists, so I wasn’t sure how I would feel about having to listen to someone else’s playlist. I LOVE it. I am a big fan of the 90s running classes. The instructors are all really motivating and helpful. One thing I appreciate the most is that running form is important to them. They constantly give form corrections over the course of each class, and it’s a great reminder about how we should all be running.
3. The variety of classes: New classes are added daily. You can filter through type of class and length of class to find the perfect fit for you. I like the 30-45 minute classes. I know the Peloton bike is kind of their staple, so I wasn’t sure they would offer the variety of treadmill running classes. But that worry is silly. There are plenty of classes to choose from. You can even choose to run your own scenic route through different parts of the world if you need a change.
So, all in all, I am a big Peloton Treadmill fan. You can follow me @KiraTani if you’d like! I still run outside when the weather isn’t cold, but this is a great way to build in an impactful workout during my day!
