Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin discusses how beneficial just 10 minutes of movement amid challenging and overwhelming times can be.
Tunde Oyeneyin is one of Peloton’s most beloved instructors. The Texas native is known for not just working up a serious sweat on the bike but also for infusing her unique motivational skills into her high-energy classes. So, it may be surprising for some to learn that on the day Oyeneyin hopped on a call with theGrio, she had skipped out on her morning run.
“I wanted to go for a run this morning, but I didn’t because my body said you don’t need that,” the 39-year-old fitness star explained, adding that instead, she did some mobility work on her foam roller.
“I worked out. I felt my heart rate go up. I felt a little bit of sweat, but I was pouring love into my body versus putting strain on my body just because the plan said that I was supposed to run this morning,” she continued. “Listening to your body means sometimes you deviate from the plan, and you come up with a new plan.”
Listening to your body isn’t just about how you’re physically feeling, either. Amid a fraught social, political, and economic climate, finding the motivation to move your body can be challenging.
“I’m as human as anybody,” said Oyeneyin. “When outside feels heavy, I feel that in myself, in my heart, in my body. Sometimes, the heaviness of the world shows in my body.”
When the world becomes overwhelming, the instructor said she gives herself grace.
“I know that sometimes, when the world feels heavy and feels dark, movement is not what I want to do, and I allow myself that. I take the couple of days that I need, and then I find myself in this headspace where I’m finally able to see and remember that movement is also what gets me through the storm. Movement is also what provides me grace to see the light on the other side,” she noted.
Oyeneyin, who has been with Peloton for six years, is a force in the fitness world. The powerhouse instructor and author has a background as a celebrity makeup artist and once battled self-doubt before she reinvented herself through movement. Her book, “Speak: Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut, and Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” chronicles her journey to self-confidence.
“When I move, whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour, I feel something in my body that I didn’t before. There’s a lightness. The weight feels metaphorically lifted,” she said.
On days when she’s strapped for time or low on motivation, she noted she’ll push herself to move for 10 minutes and suggests that others try it.
“99.99999% of the time, I exceed the 10 minutes,” the author added. “It takes about 10 minutes for the mind and the body to start to connect.”
Beyond that, Peloton’s app, she said, is chock full of motivation for movement.
“I don’t think that there’s anything on the app that you won’t pull motivation from,” Oyeneyin said, adding, “Whether you are a skier and you want to build strength, we have that on the app. If you’re a golfer and you want to strengthen your golf game, we’ve got that on the app. If the world feels heavy and you need to reset and you need a 10 or 20-minute mindfulness meditation, we have that on the app.”
For her, she said mediation comes through running.
“Running is where I find peace and solace in the world. It’s where I’m able to focus on nothing but my breath and the workout,” she explained.
She continued, “And for the many people that I’m fortunate enough to have follow me on the platform, they find their solace on the bike. So there’s something for everyone, no matter who you are.”
Movement and working out can come at a small cost for some: their glam. Some let the fear of sweating out their hair keep them from going harder during a workout.
“As much as I don’t want to sweat my edges out, I also want my sculpted shoulders,” Oyeneyin said.
“I’m on camera. I work out on camera for a living. So I get it,” the Nike Athlete continued. “I try, I mean, I’d like to look cute, but at the end of the day, if you’re making me choose one between the other, I want to be strong. I can sweat and be sexy, too.”
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