Peloton is facing backlash after their Christmas advertisement with a woman receiving a Peloton bike from her husband for Christmas, v-logging her journey, and showing him a compilation film at the end of the year to thank him for the gift because she didn’t realize how much it would change her.
There are clips of her biking and looking outside at falling snow, waking up early for a 6 a.m. ride, and getting a workout in while her kid plays in the background.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pShKu2icEYw
But the ad has gotten some backlash online, with people concerned that it’s never appropriate for a husband to buy unsolicited workout equipment for his wife and that it’s part of a body-shaming culture.
Ryan Reynolds even went so far as to hire the actress in the Peloton commercial for an Aviation Gin ad where she sits despondently at a bar between two friends and chugs her martini in awkward silence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2t7lknrK28
Here’s the thing; giving someone exercise equipment can definitely be uncomfortable if it’s unsolicited.
But weight loss isn’t the only reason for exercising. The actress in the commercial does not appear to be overweight or lose any weight over the course of her vlogging and year on Peloton.
I’ve been running since 2012 and started indoor cycling a few years later, and I do it because it changes how I think and feel.
I have a really nice indoor bike trainer and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever gotten. I can ride safely when it’s icy or snowing. I can bike while the kids are in bed, or while they’re reading on the couch in their pajamas on a lazy weekend morning. I can get up early on a busy day, like the woman in that commercial, and bike while my family is asleep and be in an incredible mood for whatever we have planned.
When the actress in that commercial says “I didn’t know how much this would change me”… well, I relate. Because I know how it feels to set a fitness goal and to stick with it and achieve something and feel incredible during the process because every workout is like a ray of mental sunshine. I know how it feels to have a piece of equipment you cherish because it gives you freedom to get those positive endorphins when you need them, whether it’s a double jogging stroller, a stationary bike, or a gym membership with childcare.
When I would get up at 5 a.m. to go run 10 miles to prepare for my first half marathon so I could be back in time for Greg to go to work, it had nothing to do body image or weight loss. It changed me because I did something I set out to do that wasn’t easy.
And when Greg surprises me with a new pair of running shoes, I feel supported and believed in.
Context matters, but I love the idea of giving a parent a piece of exercise equipment that lets them work out any time from home.
I hope the internet backlash doesn’t dissuade someone out there from getting their partner a Wahoo Kickr or Peloton or Mirror if they know it would make it easier, more convenient, and more fun for the person they love to exercise.
Yes, it’s a terrible gift if you’re the one who wants them to exercise. But it’s a great gift for someone who loves spin class but is struggling with the commute to the gym, or who rides outside all summer and is devastated when it starts snowing.
So before you throw in the towel and drop your money on blood diamonds because the internet tells you diamonds are a girl’s best friend, make sure she wouldn’t rather have her Shimano 150 upgraded to Ultegra or something first.
