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9 Peloton instructors share the motivational quotes that inspire them

These powerful lessons are worth repeating over and over again.
Bookmark this article for when you need a healthy dose of inspiration.
Bookmark this article for when you need a healthy dose of inspiration.Courtesy Peloton
/ Source: TODAY

The pressure of New Year’s resolutions and goals can be overwhelming. This year, instead of falling for all of that new-year-new-you jargon, focus on being the best version of yourself — as you are right now.

To help you get started, we asked Peloton’s top trainers (who seem like they have it all figured out) to share the motivational sayings that keep them focused.

“You don’t have to, you get to.” — Jess Sims

Sims has been a Peloton instructor since 2018.
Sims has been a Peloton instructor since 2018.Courtesy Peloton

"It’s a privilege to be able to exercise — not a punishment or a chore. I received a message from a member who was going through something health-related and she wasn’t able to work out," Sims said. "It wasn’t until she had the experience of 'I can’t run,' that she realized just how much of a privilege it is." 

One more lesson from Sims: “Being ready isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision.” 

"Feelings are so temperamental — you might never feel it, or you might feel it when it’s too late. You have to make the choice that you’re going to be ready," she said.

“Your mind is your strongest muscle.” — Tunde Oyeneyin

"I want people to know that even though I’m in the fitness world, I’m human too," Oyeneyin previously told TODAY.
"I want people to know that even though I’m in the fitness world, I’m human too," Oyeneyin previously told TODAY.Courtesy Peloton

“When you are about to do a squat, it’s your quads and your glutes that initiate the movement, but first, your mind has to tell you that you’re capable of doing it. And so when I say your mind is your strongest muscle, it’s like in order to do any one action, any one thing whether it’s on the bike or off the bike, you have to first believe that you’re able to do it. Your mind has to process that you can do the thing,” Oyeneyin elaborated.

“There’s also so much PTSD associated to fitness and your wellness journey, but you have this goal, and then you reach the goal. But if you haven’t trained your mind while you’re going, once you hit that goal, if you didn’t do the mental work while you’re doing it, then the mind doesn’t have the opportunity to catch up to the body to reach the goal,” Oyeneyin said. “Everything starts with the mind … You say you can and you will.”

 “Less excuses, more adjustments.” — Alex Toussaint

“That’s been my motto for the last couple months of 2021. I just feel like as individuals we all make excuses no matter what’s going on in our day. We spend a lot of time negotiating, ‘Should I do this?’ or planning this and sometimes we don’t ever execute," Toussaint told TODAY. "I realized for me in particular I’m just tired of making excuses for myself. So I’ll make more adjustments instead of making excuses. If I believe I can’t do something, I try to fine tune my mindset in a way that I believe in myself.”

Toussaint also shared some advice for people who are tackling new goals in 2022.

 “Just commit to yourself and believe in yourself,” he said. “Don’t be scared to fail because if you’re failing that means you’re attempting, you’re trying and you believe in yourself. That’s all that really matters right there.”

“If you can’t get out of it, get into it.” — Denis Morton 

Outside of Peloton, Morton is an avid surfer, snowboarder and skateboarder.
Outside of Peloton, Morton is an avid surfer, snowboarder and skateboarder.Courtesy Peloton

"When we clip into a ride, when we step onto yoga mat, when we pick up a weight — we’re going to be faced with challenges. And you can either find joy in that, or you can find pain in that," Morton said. "Many of us sort of default to thinking about how hard it is. But if you stop and make a game of it, it becomes a joyful experience. It comes down to agency and choice."

“I make suggestions, you make decisions," Morton said. "I repeat this in my classes all the time because it puts the onus and responsibility on you. It gives you an opportunity to create your own experience. Some days you get on the bike looking for an intense, sweaty workout and some days you get on just looking for gentle movement. Everyone should feel included and validated. At the end of the ride, no matter how hard you went, you’ll have a lot more energy than you did when you first clipped in."

“Never give up because great things take time.” — Adrian Williams


A class with Adrian Williams requires hard work and determination.
A class with Adrian Williams requires hard work and determination.Courtesy Peloton

"It took me a long time to get to where I am now. I worked as a bartender, I made sandwiches at a deli, I worked in nursing homes. I said yes to extra work, I said yes to painful hours that no one else wanted, I said yes to jobs that other people didn’t want to do," Williams said. "I knew I was working towards something great. Not everything comes right away." 

“Train smart. Train hard. Have fun!” — Matt Wilpers

Matt Wilpers is a lifelong distance runner.
Matt Wilpers is a lifelong distance runner.Courtesy Peloton

“Training smart is knowing why you’re there and having a larger goal in mind and using your time efficiently and effectively. It’s about being consistent because that’s the only way you’re going to make any type of meaningful change in your life," Wilpers said. "Training hard means thinking about mechanics, technique and maintaining focus. And you should always have fun. We always joke at Peloton that it’s like sprinkling sugar on broccoli." 


Training is absolutely a privilege.

Matt Wilpers

"Also, you’ve got to remember that training is absolutely a privilege. Feeling the lungs burn, feeling your legs burn — gosh imagine if you couldn’t feel that? So at the end of the day, no matter how great or terrible your workout is, you need to celebrate.”

“Drink as you pour.” — Chelsea Jackson Roberts

Chelsea Jackson Roberts teaches yoga and believes a yoga practice helps you connect to yourself and the world around you.
Chelsea Jackson Roberts teaches yoga and believes a yoga practice helps you connect to yourself and the world around you.Courtesy Peloton

“I adopted this mantra from the (late spiritual teacher) Ma. When I was teaching elementary school, I asked her, ‘How do I continue to serve in this capacity without feeling depleted?’ And she said, ‘Drink as you pour,'" Roberts said. "It means you want to do whatever it is that fills you up, in order to pour back out into the world. What fills me up is yoga and meditation. It’s about taking care of yourself so you don’t burn out. You’re worthy to pause, to restore, to recover. Work hard, rest hard."

“I am a disciple of a better me.” Sam Yo

Sam Yo is based in Peloton's London studio.
Sam Yo is based in Peloton's London studio.Courtesy Peloton

“I am disciple of a better me is a reminder that I take responsibility for my growth and my own evolution. I am my own teacher and my own student. When I was younger, I was always the person who looked to others for answers. But now I take control — I take responsibility for growth and happiness,” Yo told TODAY.

“They can knock you down, but never let them knock you out.” — Kendall Toole

Kendall Toole has a background in professional cheerleading, gymnastics, dance and boxing.
Kendall Toole has a background in professional cheerleading, gymnastics, dance and boxing.Courtesy Peloton

“This is something my dad would say when I was growing up. And it just kind of became my answer for hardship and struggle and setback. My senior year of college, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety," Toole told TODAY. "I went home and couldn’t get out of bed. And I remember my father coming into my room and saying, 'Kiddo, they can knock you down, but never let them knock you out.' And that was the day I dusted myself off and started my mental health journey."

"The thing is, you’re going to get hit, you’re going to have setbacks. But you have to have faith in yourself and your own abilities," she said. "You have a purpose and a power even when you feel the power isn’t there. You gotta stay in the fight. Just stay in the fight."

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