Tunde Oyeneyin talks mental health and looking glamorous on a Peloton
The fitness influencer is on a mission “to inspire and motivate other people to believe in the impossible.”
Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin has a simple system for tuning it out and glamming it up, she revealed — among other things — in a recent chat with PEOPLE.
In explaining how she prioritizes her mental health in the age of social media, the Nigerian American trainer explained, “I used to sit there, and respond to every comment, and go in my DMs and feel guilty about not responding to the 300 DMS for that day. And then now, as much as I appreciate the love, I also have to love myself, and take time away from my phone. So I delete the Instagram app often. Or I get on, I post something, and then I get off.”
Oyeneyin’s book tour earlier in the summer in support of “SPEAK: Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut, and Get From Where You Are to Where You Want To Be” gave her another opportunity to interact with her public. She said it “was really good to be out and connect with people.”
According to her bio on the official Pelton website, the fitness influencer is on a mission “to inspire and motivate other people to believe in the impossible.”
Asked by PEOPLE about advice she would give to someone embarking on a fitness journey, she advised starting small. “Take bite size chews … When I say bite size chews like start with today, I’m going to stretch for five minutes. Yeah. If you stretch for five minutes and you feel good, great. Now I’m going to get on the bike and ride for five minutes. Okay, a five minute warmup felt great. You know what? I think I can give myself 10 more minutes. I’m going to do 10 minute pop ride. Then now you’ve just worked out for 20 minutes,” Oyeneyin explained.
“You have to win. If you feel like you’re winning, you’ll show up tomorrow. If you feel like you were broken, defeated and lost today’s battle, why the hell would anybody want to set themselves up to lose tomorrow. So give yourself these bite-size attainable chews. And most importantly, practice grace.”
And advice to her teenage self? “I would tell her that every single thing that she asks for is coming, take moments to enjoy it. Find ways to enjoy the journey because the goal is so short,” Oyeneyin told PEOPLE. “The goal is only a second. Enjoy the journey and remember to play. Oh, she would be so proud of me. She’d be an[in] awe of me. She would say, ‘Wow, you actually did it’!”
Her Peloton bio states that she “brings an unparalleled positive energy to the Bike, fueled by personal experiences, perseverance and powerful playlists.”
That positive energy may be inspired in part by her fellow Peloton instructors. “It’s so freeing when you show up as you are, and then people move with you. And not just move towards you, but are also aligned with you in your values and mission,” she said to PEOPLE, adding, “I don’t take that for granted at all. I’m super fortunate and blessed to be able to say that.”
Meanwhile, anyone who has observed Oyeneyin on the bike can’t help but notice her look. When it comes to glam, the Revlon ambassador said, “I think when most people go to work, you want to bring your best self forward. My going to work just happens to be naked in front of millions of people. So it’s just a matter of me wanting to bring my best to work.”
But outside the office she has a specific look, too. “If you bump into me on the street, I’ll likely look like a 12 year-old-old, because I have short hair and no makeup on and probably a Nike sweatsuit of some type. But that’s also me,” Oyeneyin disclosed. “And being 36 years old, I am finally in a space where all of those versions of Tunde are beautiful.”
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