That Peloton Ad — In My Size

If you haven’t yet seen the ad for Peloton bikes titled, “The Gift that Gives Back,” you can find it here. In the ad, a man surprises a woman (apparently his wife), with a brand new Peloton bike. She proceeds to film her workouts over the next year for, as we come to find out, a video thanking her husband for this “gift that gives back.”

Much has been made of this particular shot of the woman at the start of this whole process:

She does not seem… well, enthused to be doing this exercise. Though she keeps up with it, surprising herself with doing some exercise 5 days in a row and having the trainer on one of the live classes say her name. At the end, she says to her husband via video, “A year ago, I didn’t realize how much this would change me. Thank you.”

I… have a few things to say about this, coming from someone in a fat body.

First, a pro tip: DO NOT GIVE YOUR LOVED ONES EXERCISE EQUIPMENT FOR CHRISTMAS. Or at any other time of the year. UNLESS and ONLY UNLESS they actually ask for it with their own words. Exercise equipment should never be a surprise gift. It sends a terrible message, no matter what. It says, “Something is wrong with you and I think you should use this machine to fix it.”

Pro tip addendum: Maybe don’t spend $2,000+ on something without checking with your partner first? That’s generally a good way to end up in an argument, regardless of whether that money was spent on exercise equipment or not.

Like I said, much has been made of the expression on the woman’s face at the start. She DOES seem anxious. So much as been made about it, in fact, that Ryan Reynolds has used the same actress in a commercial for his gin where she uses the same expression. Her two friends have taken her out for a holiday drink, and as she snaps out of her wall-eyed reverie, she toasts “to new beginnings.” One hopes that she has by now left her husband who makes questionable life decisions and maybe sold the Peloton so she can buy something that she really, actually wants.

The original commercial just leaves me wondering what was so wrong in this woman’s life that using an overpriced exercise bike was the solution? So much of the time people in fat bodies or people who are dealing with depression or other mental health issues (or both) are prescribed “exercise” as a way to fix it, or at least to cope with it. But while exercise certainly does have many benefits both for the mind and body, it is not a substitute for ACTUAL HEALTHCARE. I personally cannot think of a single, rational problem where this bike can be the only solution.

Exercise is not some mythical thing that we can only do on a machine or in a gym. It is in every movement of our bodies. It should not be coerced. It should not be done out of guilt. It should not be done to prove to someone else how much you’ve “changed.” It should be joyful! It should be because it makes you feel good. It should be done any damn way you please. If that’s going for a walk outside or getting on your $2,000 bike, neither way is better than the other. Do what pleases you for you and for no other reason.