Peloton instructor reveals her 10 minute rule for workout struggles

One of the most recognisable faces from the Peloton brand has revealed the rule she uses on the day she doesn’t feel like working out.

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Peloton may have only arrived in Australia two years ago and if you’ve ever taken a class, it’s likely Tunde Oyeneyin was the instructor.

But the Nike athlete has revealed outside of work, when working on her own fitness goals, there are some days she simply can’t be bothered.

“I think people think fitness professionals love working out, that it’s fun, and I do love it – but not every day,” she joked in an interview with news.com.au during a recent trip promoting Peloton in Australia.

The New York Times bestseller for her book SPEAK – based on her life motto “surrender, power, empathy, authenticity and knowledge” – said its about consistency and creating healthy habits, which is why she has the 10 minute rule for the days she struggles for motivation.

Tunde Oyeneyin is a Peloton instructor. Picture: Supplied

“I tell myself ‘Today, you’re gonna move for 10 minutes’. So I literally start a timer and I work out for 10 minutes,” she said.

“And then once the timer goes off, I ask if I want to stop right here or if I want to keep going — 99.999 per cent of the time, I far surpass the 10 minutes. And on the one off days where I don’t, 10 minutes was still better than zero.”

It’s been a long road to the 37-year-old becoming a household name, after growing up in Houston, Texas, as a first-generation American to Nigerian parents who wanted a better life for their children than what they had.

The Peloton instructor and published author has shared her secret to staying active — even on days she’s not feeling it. Picture: Supplied.

“That being said, Nigerian background and Texas background, two things that they are sure to have in common is love for creating memories around food,” she said.

“And that being said, I grew up with maybe not the healthiest habits. My brothers were also star football players who ate whatever they wanted.

“And I had to eat fast and eat a lot to be able to keep up with that. And so I struggled with my weight a lot growing up.”

Tunde said she was teased and picked on, often hiding herself away. She stopped laughing or dancing because she feared people would then look at her and notice her size.

At 15, she joined a gym and ended up losing 31kg.

She was a makeup artist for 15 years. Picture: Supplied

“It’s taken a lot of work to be in this space that I am now with my appreciation for my body,” she said.

“It doesn’t mean that I love myself, or love my body, or uncomfortable in my body all day, every day. But most days, or most moments during the day, I am just so aware that I get to live in this body that shows up for me, and that moves for me.

“And one day, that might not be the case. And so why not appreciate every curve?”

She said once she finally stopped hiding, she thought people were treating her differently. But, in reality, she was opening herself up to the world.

Tunde said that there was a difference between empathy and sympathy, and her ability to empathise with someone who may be at the start or in the middle of their fitness journey, and to be able to understand that journey is something that can’t be taught.

She recently came to Australia to promote Peloton. Picture: Supplied

Before joining Peloton, Tunde was a makeup artist for 15 years, and enjoyed making people feel good while they were in her chair.

But, one day, she realised she liked her senior title rather than the actual work anymore. A fateful trip to New York led her into a cycling studio and the rest was history.

She became a Peloton instructor, after working at a smaller studio and being knocked back by the household brand once before.

“Every single day, I’m able to connect with tens of thousands of people, and hopefully, if I’ve done my job right in that day, I get to be a moment of light for them,” she said.

“Whether it’s a song played that was reminiscent, or something I said that spoke to their inner being to be able to be associated with a moment of positivity in someone’s day. That’s the ultimate gift.”

Originally published as Peloton instructor reveals her 10 minute rule for workout struggles