“I’m approachable, hard-working, and someone who likes to have a good time, and I’m always down for a good dance,” Peloton fitness instructor and Netflix Dance 100 host Ally Love says when asked who she is as a person in or outside the fitness studio.
After college, Love planted roots in NYC. And while life in the Big Apple wasn’t initially the easiest, she’s now forged her way to becoming not only one of Peloton’s premier instructors, but she has served as the Brooklyn Nets’ in-arena host for ten seasons, created an inclusive online and in-person community that empowers others, and on March 17, 2023, she’ll officially add Netflix show host to her growing portfolio.
“The Love Squad was created out of my lack of resources and frustration. I started blogging about things I was facing as a dancer at the time, like how to handle yourself as a young woman in a big city and how to navigate the no’s that come your way,” the celebrity fitness expert. “I realized that the catalyst for change is conversation, so I created this space where we can have dialogue and empower each other.”
The trained dancer is literally a ray of light. Bringing high energy during her Peloton classes and her gig with the Nets, Ally Love always aims to welcome anyone she encounters. In addition, she’s a loving wife and a woman who prides herself on being a great friend to her loved ones.
“I love being a great friend because friendships are so important. I am someone who believes in equity and things being fair. I’m a constant communicator, my husband and I are over communicators and literally talk about everything,” shares Love.
Even with all of these great qualities, it was her work ethic and her ability to connect with people in special ways that landed her where she is today. From the Nets and a longtime partnership with Adidas to being asked to come on as one of Peloton’s founding eleven instructors almost seven years ago, and now, Netflix reaching out to tap her for their latest series—Dance 100.
With so much on her plate in a given day or week—flying to London to record Dance 100 then flying back to NYC to film for Peloton, and somewhere in between recording her podcast, Courtside Convo—one can only ask, how does she manage?
“We all know that energy is finite, and in the last year I’ve realized that the things I was doing for myself were not serving me or refueling me. So, I’ve changed the way I approach my morning and evening routines,” Love shares. “I have also adopted this notion of taking ‘beats’ throughout the day. It’s where I pause for 30–90 seconds, place my hand over my heart, and just check in with myself and my energy. It’s like when you drive a car, and you check on your gas. That’s exactly what I do. I ask myself how much gas is left in Ally Love for today and how much further can she drive this body.”
Allowing self-awareness and self-care to be at the forefront of her daily routine, the fitness powerhouse shares that each day she sets her intention of how she wants to show up and engage that day. Whether she wants to focus on being more of an active listener or being quiet and more productive—she anchors herself in how or what she wants to feel and allows that to be her North Star for the day.
“This is important because I do so many things and encounter so many people in a given day. I promote being active in my morning routine, not active in the literal sense, but active in the sense of how I want to respond that day,” she explains. “Then, in the evenings, I have now implemented a routine of putting work away once it’s time for dinner. I put everything away from me, like my phone or computer, so it’s a task to go a get it. It’s my path of gratitude.”
If you want to follow in Ally Love’s steps toward your own journey of self-care and self-awareness, the Dance 100 hosts suggests adding the following to your workout routine.
“On the Peloton app, there are 10-minute barre classes that are really great and help work smaller muscles that you normally don’t work otherwise. You don’t even need anything,” she adds. “Just slow, controlled movements to the beat of the music. It’s hard work, it’s fun, it’s approachable—all the things I describe myself as.”