Peloton Got Me Through Remote Teaching

For Peloton Member Julia B., exercise has always been a priority. But as a busy fourth-grade teacher in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, it was difficult to fit in workouts during the week. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Julia’s entire routine changed as she had to adjust to teaching children through a screen. Here, Julia shares how her Peloton Bike has helped her weather the storm of pandemic stress, increased her energy and helped her adapt in a healthy way.

Struggling to Find Time

“Exercise has always been important to me. Whether I ran, walked on the treadmill, used the weight machines at the gym or took a long walk around the neighborhood, I always felt better after exercising,” says Julia, 63. But before she became a Peloton Member, she was only exercising three times a week at most. “There wasn't enough time before work to drive to, exercise and drive back from the gym,” she explains.

Even so, when Julia’s daughter Willa Ott first started working for Peloton, it took some convincing to get Julia on the Bike. “She was a bit intimidated and worried it wasn’t for her,” says Willa, Peloton’s Director of New Market Development. “It took about a year of convincing from me and her friends who had Peloton Bikes for her to decide to give it a try. Even then, I wasn’t sure she would like it because she had never done any indoor cycling.”

Hooked on Peloton

Once she tried Peloton, though, Julia didn’t just like it—she was hooked from the start. She began using her Bike every day before work, typically completing a 30-minute ride or two 15-minute rides followed by stretching and core with Emma Lovewell, strength with Tunde Oyeneyin and meditation with Ross Rayburn. “I have always been an early riser, but I’m talking 6 or 6:30 AM,” Julia says of her pre-Peloton life. “But these days, my alarm goes off and I’m out of bed by 4 AM, always on the Bike no later than 5 AM. I’ve always preferred to exercise in the morning and being able to just go across the hall and climb on the Bike, especially on cold, dark, winter mornings, has made such a difference.”

Easing the Remote Teaching Transition

When the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, Julia’s school transitioned to virtual teaching and she was forced to learn new technology and teach through Zoom or Google Classroom from her home. And for the 2020-21 school year, things got even more complicated. “This school year we’ve been live, but my class is split into two separate rooms, or cohorts. I use a camera in my room and livestream my lessons into the other cohort where my assistant teacher is. Then I always have at least one child, sometimes as many as five, on the screen Zooming in from home. Plus, we’re all masked and trying to stay six feet apart,” Julia explains. “My former teaching style was very hands-on, so I had to revamp my whole curriculum. At first it really felt like a three-ring circus.”

Enter Peloton. “Peloton has given me a definite positive approach to teaching during the pandemic. It’s been my protective shield to help mitigate the stress I felt being thrown into the new methods,” Julia says. “There was a lot of new technology for me to learn, and I believe working out with Peloton every morning set me up to tackle the challenges of teaching in three places at once. I also feel more energized and centered, and I’m definitely more flexible—or as we call it, I’m able to pivot at a moment’s notice.”

Rides on the Bike give Julia “focus, a lifting of mood, energy, strength and positive influences.” And she’s also turned to other Peloton disciplines, finding meditation especially beneficial. “From meditation, I gain courage, an open heart in service of others, light, happiness, confidence and calmness. It gives me added strength, as a teacher, to try to do my best every day,” Julia says. “Because it’s so early in the morning, I’m often the only one meditating on Ross’ meditation. I’ve wondered if he notices the loyalty of #juliajblum to these 10 minutes that seal my readiness for my teaching day.”

Spreading the Love

Since discovering the perks of Peloton, Julia has been sharing them with many colleagues. “I’ve inspired a number of other teachers to purchase Bikes, and I know of two more who use the app,” she says.

Her daughter isn’t left out either. “Every time we talk, we spend at least five minutes sharing the rides we’ve done recently,” Willa says with a laugh. “When my mom commits to something, she really goes all in, and I’m so proud of her.”

“All in” may be an understatement: Julia is close to hitting her 500th ride. She hasn’t missed a day since her first class on January 2, 2020, nor does she plan to miss one anytime soon. “Ask me about what I do for a living, and I say with a proud smile that I’m a fourth-grade teacher,” she says. “Ask me what I do to be fit and calmer, and I say with the same proud smile, ‘I ride my Peloton Bike and meditate every day.’ And then I tell whoever is listening all about it!”

We’re proud to have so many essential workers in our community. Read on to learn how Peloton classes have also helped female physicians.