I Went Indoor Cycling With Kylie Jenner’s BFF

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If you think you’re in shape because you can blast through an hour of hot yoga, try 30 minutes of indoor cycling at Cycle House and you’ll snap back to reality double quick. At least, I did. When the storied workout spot sent me an invite to come and burn calories alongside Kylie Jenner’s BFF Jordyn Woods, I felt energized and psyched up. Cut to 15 minutes into the ride, and I turned into a puddle of tears and sweat; it was all worth it though, because I got a chance to chat with Jordyn and my thighs are definitely tighter.

Jordyn (and her statuesque friend Justine Skye) slayed in super cute athletic wear, thanks in part to her participation in the new campaign from NOLA by Addition Elle. She and Ashley Graham are the faces of their latest collection of plus size activewear, which includes the rad black mesh structured sports bra Jordyn wore during the cycle sesh (it comes out in August, but you can shop similar ones here). “I love the line. This bra is so supportive and so comfy and it makes me feel cute, which motivates me to go out and do something,” Jordyn told me, adding, “I think it’s really important for people of all sizes to find something they feel cute in and that motivates them to be active.”

Fun fact: Jordyn has an amazing way of talking to you like she’s your best friend. She’s incredibly soft-spoken, friendly, and savvy, possessing a keen understanding of her place in the current social media landscape. When I asked her about her enormous Instagram presence, due in part to her friendship with Kylie, Jordyn revealed, “Social media is probably one of the greatest tools of this generation. We all have a voice and a platform now to post either what we’re doing or something amazing that we want to share with the world. I want to show what’s real as opposed to trying to post a lifestyle, or any kind of false advertising.”

Five minutes later, she was locking in to the bike in front of me and when her personally curated playlist started blaring, she attacked the class with the same kind of genuine enthusiasm and real hard work. Behind her, I was literally dying. Cycle House was kind enough to provide me with my own water bottle, and I sucked that thing down like I was crawling toward a mirage. Given that I’m cardio-phobic, I’d forgotten that incredibly off-putting lung burn that accompanies biking uphill. Was it my attitude? I’ll admit that when someone with a microphone yells at me to “Go Harder!” and “Stop bullshitting!” I tend to shut down and do the opposite.

After 30 (actually not that long) minutes, I was a pale, sweaty mess and Jordyn looked as lovely as ever. My takeaway is definitely to be more like Jordyn — a positive attitude goes an incredibly long way toward reshaping your worldview and enriching your experiences. And that black mesh sports bra definitely helped; I want that.