I have owned a Peloton bike for almost 5 years and the Peloton row for almost 9 months. I use both regularly and I love both pieces of equipment. I was recently wondering if I had to pick one over the other- which one would I pick. I realized my answer is greatly impacted by being a mom to two very young children. Keep reading for my picks thoughts on Peloton Bike or Peloton Row: which is best for mom.
Who am I?
I am not an athlete, a body builder, a runner or a yogi. I am a somewhat in shape, nearing 40 year old mom of two. Prior to having my first child, I went to the gym regularly, attending weekly weight lifting and yoga classes. I purchased the Peloton bike a few months after my first child was born. I knew realistically I would never be able to get to the gym like I used to with a young child at home and working full time as a lawyer. I wanted to invest in some equipment to have at home to replace my gym membership. I quickly fell in love with the bike and cancelled my gym membership.
I used the Peloton bike and the workout classes for years until I was pregnant again. During my second pregnancy I was not as consistent with my workouts. As soon as I got the all clear by my doctor, I started using the bike (albeit, very slowly and gently). I was out of shape, missed exercising and had 40 pounds to lose.
It was about a year after I started working out again that the Peloton row was released. At that point I was working out regularly on the bike and trying to incorporate more weight lifting. After four years of using one piece of equipment at home, I was excited to add another piece of equipment to my home gym. I purchased the row at the end of December 2022, with delivery in early January.
I have lost the 40 pounds of baby weight gained during my second pregnancy and I am feeling good about my body. I am not trying to lose any weight. I want to be healthy and strong for me. I also need to be healthy for my kids, and be able to chase them and play with them all day. I wrote about my workout schedule in a blog post you can find here.
Monday through Friday I workout in the morning before my kids wake up. I try to do a mix of floor exercises and the bike/row. My Peloton bike and Peloton row are located in the master bedroom, down the hall from my kids bedrooms. This is relevant to my thoughts about recommending the bike v. row for a mom like me.
Peloton Bike or Peloton Row: Peloton equipment recommendation for a Mom
I love both the bike and the row: I often can’t pick which one I want to use! That is a problem I do not mind having, because it means to me that both pieces of equipment are worth purchasing.
For a mom, I recommend the row over the bike, for a few specific reasons:
Rowing is a full body workout.
You have probably heard this about the row, but it is a full body workout. I love this about the row- when I get on the row for a workout, I really feel my muscles working- from legs, abs and arms. The row is a tough workout, in my opinion.
A short workout is always a great workout.
Because rowing is a full body workout, a short workout really is a workout. I can feel a 15 minute workout the next day!
Easy to strap in and no set up time.
There is limited set up time for the row. You may have to adjust the feet straps if you share the equipment with anyone, but that is it. The bike has several adjustments you may have to make if you share the equipment (like the seat height, seat depth), which can take a few minutes to set up if you weren’t the last person on the bike.
You can set up, strap in the row in just a minute. If you have small kids like me, your time to workout can be very limited. This is a huge benefit to the row. Every minute counts when I am trying to squeeze in a workout before my kids wake up.
Easy to pause if needed.
I try to workout before my kids wake up. Sometimes though my son in particular runs in while I am working out. I can easily pause the row, hop off, try to get him to lay down for a few more minute or (more realistically) settle him down with an iPad so I can finish my workout. You can also pause classes on the bike (a recent addition to classes which was huge), but clipping out takes a new extra second and can be loud (see next point).
The Row is Quiet.
I workout when my kids are asleep. Although the equipment is in my bedroom and I have sound machines all over the upstairs, sounds carries in my house. Clip in the bike shoes can be LOUD. I try to clip in the shoes in the night before I plan to workout in the morning. If I don’t remember to clip in, then I use the row out of fear of waking sleeping children. This isn’t a problem everyone will have, but if you have small kids and workout in the morning, then this is a factor for you.
The row machine is also quiet in general. When I use the bike and stand up during a class, the floor in my house makes a creaking noise. Again, this is only a factor you workout in the morning and have small kids. But for more, this does impact my decision to use the row over the bike most days that I workout in the morning.
Which equipment is right for you?
I focused this post on why I think the row might be the right piece of equipment for you- if you are a mom like me. I workout now in the morning when my kids are still asleep. Both pieces of equipment are in my master bedroom, down the hall from my kids bedrooms. The easy of getting on the row, the ability to quickly get off (if needed) and the full body workout makes the row the suggested equipment if you are a mom.
If you liked this post, keep reading:
Four Accessories you Need for the Peloton Row
Leave a Reply