Peloton's Cody Rigsby Opens Up About His Mental Health: 'It's a Very Long Journey'
ABC / Maarten de Boer
Cody Rigsby is opening up about his journey toward prioritizing mental healthcare.
"Fitness has been such a sanctuary for me," the Peleton instructor, 35, tells PEOPLE to mark World Mental Health Day on October 10.
"It's one of those places that you can be absolutely present with your body and present with your thoughts," he adds. "And it allows me to really process things. As much as I hate running, I've really gotten into it. I love going on a 20-minute run on the Peloton app and processing s— or hearing inspirational things from my fellow colleagues. It really is a really great place to get in tune with yourself."
Rigsby says a bad breakup six years ago forced him to look within, which meant starting therapy and meditation.
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cody rigsby/instagram Cody Rigsby
The former Dancing with the Stars competitor also recalls growing up homeless and how that contributed to his mental health struggles, which is why he partnered with Credit Karma to shine a light on the ways financial health and mental health are connected.
"Having really low moments, I became super aware of the impact that money and financial security had on me," Rigsby says. "It creates a lot of anxiety for me."
"So what I love about this partnership is it's taking that idea that our financial health is important and if we don't prioritize it, then it's just going to become something that festers in our subconscious and creates a lot of anxiety or even sadness," he continues. "We have to really tackle it so that we're creating a sense of security for ourselves and we're prioritizing that aspect of our mental health."
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The fitness star says he wakes up early each day for journaling and meditation. On a weekly basis, he says hanging out with friends and staying social are things that "really nourish my soul and keep me in good mental health."
"I also love putting on music in my apartment and just like dancing around by myself. It just creates a lot of joy for me," he says. "And as cliché as it is, I love my nighttime shower with my beauty regimen and like feeling clean and complete at the end of the night."
Rigsby explains that it's vital to "take action" and put effort into whatever activities or practices are beneficial mentally, emphasizing that there's "nothing wrong with you" if you find yourself struggling with mental health.
"What I've learned about mental health is that it's a very long journey. And as much as we feel that we need to be fixed, there's nothing that needs to be fixed," he tells PEOPLE. "We're whole, we have everything that we need, but we have to have the strength to examine ourselves, to have conversations with ourselves that are uncomfortable, so that we can evolve and we can change and we can be a better version of ourselves."
"I am proud that I can admit when I've failed at giving myself grace, and move past that guilt, that shame, and get back into the habits that are good for me," Rigsby adds.
