Peloton Is Your Passport to International Fitness Classes

This summer, many of us are stuck at home, wishing we could travel. Having to cancel vacation plans is a bummer—but if you’re really craving a transcontinental experience, you can still get a taste of Europe on your Peloton Bike. Here, Peloton cycling instructors Irène Scholz and Erik Jäger explain why U.S. Members love our German rides so much.

You might learn a new language

Irène and Erik each bring a whole lot of positive vibes to their classes—and that translates whether or not you can speak German. “I have people taking my classes without subtitles, just because they love the energy of the playlist, me smiling at them and motivating them by shouting German lines at them,” Irène says. That said, if you want to go a little deeper, it’s easy to pick up on key words that get used frequently. Listen closely to the instructor and before you know it, you just might be able to follow along without the subtitles. (Hint: schneller means faster, langsamer means slower.)

The instructors are world-class

Although Erik and Irène are all about having a good time, they also take their workouts seriously. “We know our German community loves efficiency and precision,” Irène says, “so I tend to try and really hit accurate timings on my Tabatas, with a little less talking and a little more fitness focus.”

Erik agrees: “Irène and I are going every time on 100 percent,” he says. “For me, it’s important to feel the same as the Member is feeling when they are taking my class.”

It’s easy to make new friends

Member Andrea J. moved from Germany to the U.S. more than 20 years ago, so hearing Peloton instructors speak her first language was a moving experience. “I felt emotional when I first started taking Irène’s class, loving it in German,” she says.

Through social media and the #GermansUSA Tag, she’s now found a strong community of other Members—both in the U.S. and Europe—who love Erik and Irène’s classes. They’ll schedule group rides and let the high fives fly, offering lots of support to each other. “It motivates me to go harder for sure,” she says.

You get a different perspective

Listening to someone from another country can open your eyes in surprising ways. “We all have our own little bubble at times, and Europe can sometimes feel far away from the U.S. We have our challenges over here and vice versa,” Irène says. “Through sport...we share challenges and sometimes that helps [us] to feel more globally connected.”

No matter where you live or what language you speak, working out with someone is a powerful way to get to know them. “So many people from around the world are together on the leaderboard,” Erik says. “We are smiling together, we are improving our fitness level together. And that it’s in different languages is just unbelievable. Together we go far, all around the world.”