Peloton's Cody Rigsby on Journaling, Meditation, and Setting Workout Boundaries
I've always picked my workouts based on the exercises that fit my mood, but lately, I'm down for whatever Cody Rigsby has in store. From meditation to bodyweight boot camp to cycling, the Peloton instructor's realness is admirable — and quite entertaining, too. Even virtually, I feel like I'm sweating alongside a longtime friend who always tells it like it is.
Yes, Rigsby is naturally charismatic, but a lot of who he is can be credited to how hard he works on his "three pillars of success": physical, emotional, and mental wellness.
"I take being a leader with a platform that touches and influences a lot of people with humility and responsibility. I try to be as vulnerable and authentic as possible, and that's where I kind of share the things that are assets to me, fuel me, and make me stronger. I lean on that vulnerability, stay with the authenticity, and share the things that keep me going," he said.
It was actually a painful breakup that led Rigsby to meditation and pushed him toward self-discovery. Getting to know himself and forming a relationship with his bad habits all brought him to a place of healing. "Meditation became such a habit, such a part of my physical, emotional, mental strength that I started to really lean on that to make me strong, resilient, and powerful."
"That's how I became a meditation teacher, and that is what really gives me my mindfulness — my ability to be present in my mental and emotional strength."
Rigsby complements meditation with journaling — by writing things down, Rigsby confronts the "BS" popping up in his mind. "Journaling is this place where I crystalize things. So I use those two tools to get rid of anything that is stopping me from being my best self and staying prepared 24/7."
His physical pillar is all about creating boundaries. He'll go harder in the gym on days he's not teaching and vice versa: "I am balancing work and personal exercise out, and it makes for the perfect kind of programming for my physical fitness."
"Emotionally, I'm confronting my thoughts and feelings in meditation. Mentally, I'm writing things down through journaling — I'm figuring out what I'm doing. Physically, I am making sure that I am taking on workouts that push my boundaries and nourishing myself with things that keep me going outside of my workout."
And beyond the Peloton studio, Rigsby continues to share his wellness advice on Instagram by partnering with Bolt 24 for its 23-Hour Challenge. "This challenge is all about what we do outside that one hour we're working out. How do we stay connected? How do we stay strong? And it's about sharing those assets, too."
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