By now, some of us will have abandoned our New Year’s resolutions. And guess what? The sky hasn’t fallen. January typically begins with that familiar desire to rein it in, to work out like crazy, to do a juice cleanse. But there are other, more productive ways to jumpstart change in our lives. “Start small,” says Cody Rigsby, Peloton’s star instructor. Rigsby is known for serotonin-boosting classes that are filled with hilarious hot takes and an inclusive approach to working up a sweat. “My approach to wellness is the same as how I look at life – I’m always trying to laugh at life or myself – so I try to laugh at the parts of it that we take too seriously,” he continues.

Rigsby’s humour frequently takes centre stage during his classes, and this past November, Peloton debuted “LOL Cody,” a series of spinning classes during which he interviewed celebrity guests like Carly Rae Jepsen, RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Trixie Mattel, and *NSYNC’s JC Chasez. They’re a great place to start for those embarking on a new fitness journey, or just prioritizing joy in their lives.

Last month, we stopped by Peloton Studios New York to chat all things wellness with Rigsby. Here, he shares behind the scenes insights on his cyclingrise classes, and his tips for embracing wellness from the inside out.

How did “LOL Cody” come about?

It’s been over a year in the making because I was looking for something to do beyond “XOXO Cody.” I think we did a really great job with that and members really loved it – but it was like, what’s the next thing? We wanted to bring something different to the bike and I’m always trying to sharpen my skills as an entertainer and a host and I think this was a great way to do that and bring other people into the fold, like the celebrity guests we’ve had.

Would you ever be a television host in the future?

Yes, of course! I can’t ride this bike forever. I’ve gotta figure out what I’m going to do when the body gives out, but I love being here and I love that I get to help people live with purpose in the Peloton community.

I think you could ride the bike forever… I see people in their 70s on the leaderboard all the time.

I don’t know if that’s going to be me, but you know, I’ve had a good run. This April will be 9 years since I joined Peloton which I can’t believe. It’s been so transformative to my life and my story.

Do you pick the guests on LOL Cody?

I’m no one in the grand scheme of celebrity, so we made a list of absolute shots in the dark and also people that fit into these more niche stories we can tell. Someone like JC Chasez is happy with his life and not performing, but I talk about him all the time in my rides, so to bring him into the fold, it kind of plays into this inside joke that me and Peloton members have. And it was really great to see him shine.

Who would be your dream guest?

Shangela would be great. My agent represents Lance Bass and he said he was a little jealous of JC, so why not have him next season?

Do you style yourself for “LOL Cody?”

We work with a stylist but I’m very hands-on with what I want to look like. Especially for the JC episode, I wanted to live out my TRL fantasy and wear something that I could replicate from a late 90s early 2000s *NSYNC video – the half zip, the wide leg pant from Diesel. I had so much fun with that.

I love how accessible your approach to wellness is. How would you describe it to someone who might be intimidated by working out?

My approach to wellness is the same as how I look at life – I’m always trying to laugh at life or myself – so I try to laugh at the parts of it that we take too seriously. And that always breaks down the scariness or the hurdles that surround creating a new routine or working out in a new way. The biggest hurdles are always “I can’t do it, I’m going to look silly…” and so I try to find the thing that scares me and I laugh at myself – why should anyone be scared of a cyclingrise class on a bike that goes nowhere while jamming out to Britney Spears? Chill out. I also remind myself that anything that I’m doing for my mental health or physical health is good for me but it should also evoke a sense of joy. If you’re not finding joy in it, you need to find a new way to take care of yourself. You don’t want to do something you’re going to hate for years.

What are your tips for creating a new wellness routine or getting back into one?

Start small. If it looks overwhelming you’re not going to do it. Give yourself room to fail and grace when you do fail. Find things that you enjoy and bring you joy. Be prepared to be frustrated because it’s not always going to work out how you want it to. You’re going to fall off the bandwagon. It’s a practice. You have to sit and be uncomfortable and it’ll get better.

Here’s a big one that no one wants to hear: You’re going to have to give up more alcohol than you want. Drinking is not helping your performance nor the way you might want to look. It’s fun but it’s really bad for you.

What is your personal wellness routine?

Typically, what I try to do is get up, drink water first thing in the morning, wait 30 minutes and then have my coffee. Either while I’m waiting to have my coffee or after I do, I do 10-15 minutes of meditation and that’s just to disassociate from my thoughts. And then I like to journal – that lets me word vomit and it’s really therapeutic because I tend to overthink things.

That’s the daily part of it, but my goal is always to find something daily, weekly, monthly, annually that nourishes my soul. The dailies are working out, the meditation. The weekly might be a social life, dinner with friends. Monthly might be a weekend in Miami. These are my goals that nourish me outside of my physical wellbeing. Those are the little crumbs to follow that get you through.

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