Whether you’ve recently bought a NordicTrack treadmill, elliptical, exercise bike, or rower, or you’re currently browsing through your options online, you may have come across two specific features, ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™, and wondered what they are.

In this article, we’re sharing everything you need to know about each one, how they compare and contrast, and whether you should use ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ simultaneously.

By the end of this article, you’ll know whether they’re worth using on your fitness journey.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what we discuss in this article:

1. SmartAdjust™ automatically adjusts your speed and incline to match what the iFIT Trainer programmed into the workout.
2. ActivePulse™ connects to an external Bluetooth® heart rate monitor (sold separately) and automatically adjusts the intensity of your treadmill workout to keep you within your target heart rate zone.
3. Using both features simultaneously is a great idea if you have an external heart rate monitor, a treadmill, and an active iFIT membership. Keep reading to see why that is.

And if you prefer to skip ahead, feel free to use the links below to get right to the section you’re looking for:

1. What is SmartAdjust™ on NordicTrack exercise equipment?
2. How Does ActivePulse™ Work?
3. ActivePulse™ Bluetooth® Heart Rate Monitor Compatibility
4. What is the Difference Between ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™?
5. Should You Use ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ Simultaneously?

For everyone else, continue reading to learn more about ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ and what makes them so unique and noteworthy.

What is SmartAdjust™ on NordicTrack Exercise Equipment?

SmartAdjust™, which is only available with an active iFIT subscription, is a unique feature that automatically adjusts your exercise equipment’s speed and incline to mimic what the iFIT Trainer on your screen has programmed for the workout.

If the iFIT Trainer on screen has you climbing Mount Everest at a 40% incline, your treadmill will automatically reach that point without you having to do a thing.

Or, if your iFIT Trainer has you speeding up for intervals, your NordicTrack equipment will automatically bump up your current speed.

So, instead of manually pressing your speed or incline by tapping a few buttons mid-workout to keep up, SmartAdjust™ takes over this task for you.

This means you can focus more on enjoying the workout and journey ahead and less on constantly looking down and making adjustments.   

And that’s just the beginning of what SmartAdjust™ can do.

If you decide the workout is too fast or slow, or you’d like to increase or decrease the intensity, you can do so with a few taps of a button, and SmartAdjust™ will automatically update the rest of your workout with these changes in mind.

SmartAdjust™ then takes the information it gathers from each workout and uses this intel to update your future iFIT training sessions to match those preferences.

So, you get built-in progressions perfectly tailored to you with each workout, and they’re constantly evolving and improving over time.

SmartAdjust™ helps you change how you train by getting customized workouts delivered right to your machine.

Another cool feature of SmartAdjust™ is that you can set a maximum speed limit, which means it won’t go any faster than what you’ve set it to. So, even if the workout was programmed to go faster, your machine will stay right at your maximum speed limit.

Say goodbye to manual adjustments and hello to workouts specifically tailored to your fitness level with the help of SmartAdjust™.

As a quick recap, SmartAdjust™:

1. Automatically adjusts your exercise equipment’s speed and incline to mimic what the iFIT Trainer on your screen has programmed for the workout
2. Automatically updates all of your upcoming training sessions based on the adjustments you make in each workout
3. Lets you set a maximum speed that’s comfortable for you and ensures you won’t go any faster than that even if the Trainer has higher speeds programmed into the workout 

Please note: SmartAdjust™ is not available in manual mode or without an active iFIT subscription.

To learn more about how to get started with SmartAdjust™ or how to change the settings, head to that link when you’re done here.

Before you visit that page, continue reading to see how ActivePulse™ also delivers personalized training right to your doorstep.

How Does ActivePulse™ Work?

ActivePulse™, which is only available with an active iFIT membership, automatically makes adjustments for you, similar to SmartAdjust™. But this time, it changes the intensity of your treadmill workouts to keep you within your target heart rate zone. 

To do that, you would pair your own Bluetooth® connected heart rate monitor, which is sold separately, to your treadmill and activate ActivePulse™.

Then, throughout your workout, ActivePulse™ keeps an eye on your heart rate and adjusts the intensity of each workout to ensure you’re in the target heart rate zone. 

Note: You can modify your heart rate zones, set a max speed, and set the starting state for ActivePulse™ in the Personalized Training section of the “In Workout Settings” in your iFIT app.

With this unique feature, you can say goodbye to manual adjustments and having to constantly look down at your phone or watch to see what heart rate zone you’re in. 

ActivePulse™ helps you reach your full potential for every workout based on a real-time feedback loop between your measured heart rate and your NordicTrack treadmill’s speed and incline.

This adds another layer of personalization without much effort.

All the hard guesswork is done for you; you just need to show up and enjoy the workout. 

Like SmartAdjust™, you can also set a maximum speed limit and modify your heart rate zones to ensure they’re at your perfect place for your current fitness level.

All of that can be done in the Personalized Training section in Workout Settings, which you can learn more about by visiting this page that covers: How do you use ActivePulse™?

Please note: ActivePulse™ is only available on treadmills and it is not available in manual mode or without an active iFIT subscription.

As a quick recap, ActivePulse™:

1. Changes the intensity of your treadmill workouts to keep you within your target heart rate zone using an external Bluetooth® Heart Rate Monitor (sold separately)
2. Helps you reach your full potential for every workout based on a real-time feedback loop between your measured heart rate and your NordicTrack treadmill’s speed and incline
3. Lets you set a maximum speed limit and modify your heart rate zones to ensure they’re at the perfect place for your current fitness level

ActivePulse™ Bluetooth® Heart Rate Monitor Compatibility

If you’re wondering what Bluetooth® heart rate monitors are compatible with ActivePulse™, check out this list of brands below:

1. iFIT SmartBeat™ Heart Rate Monitor
2. Polar®
3. Garmin®
4. Wahoo®
5. WHOOP® 

Note: ActivePulse™ is only available on treadmills.

What is the Difference Between ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™?

Now that you know more about each feature, you’re likely wondering: what is the difference between ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™?

Both ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ make automatic adjustments for you, but they each do so a little differently.

SmartAdjust™ changes your speed and incline based on what the iFIT Trainer has programmed into the workout.

You don’t need to connect an external heart rate monitor to use SmartAdjust™, which is one key difference between ActivePulse™, so you only need an active iFIT membership to use the former.

ActivePulse™, on the other hand, does require an external heart rate monitor that connects through Bluetooth® to use, and it only works on with treadmills.

Once your heart rate monitor is paired to your machine, ActivePulse™ can automatically adjust the intensity of your treadmill workouts to ensure you’re in your target heart rate zone.

ActivePulse™, similar to SmartAdjust™, requires an active iFIT membership to use, and both features are not available in manual mode.

All of that should give you a better idea of how these two features are similar and different at the same time, but now you may be wondering:

Should You Use ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ Simultaneously?

Absolutely! 

It’s a great idea to use ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ at the same time, especially if you have a Bluetooth®-compatible heart rate monitor and you’re using a treadmill.

Combining these two features allows you to personalize and fine-tune your workouts.

While SmartAdjust™ changes your speed and incline to match what the iFIT Trainer has already laid out for you, ActivePulse™ ensures your heart rate is exactly where you want it to be throughout the workout.

Over time, SmartAdjust™ uses the intel it gathers to adjust your future training sessions so you can keep maintaining or progressing your fitness level.

So, while ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ are each great on their own, they’re even better together.

Personalize Your Fitness Journey Today

After reading this article, the benefits of ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ are clear to see.

With an active iFIT membership, you can customize your workouts and tailor them to your current fitness level using ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™, and all of this personalization is delivered right to your doorstep.

All you have to do is show up and enjoy the journey.

Give ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ a try today, and you’ll likely wonder how you ever trained without these two innovative features.

To learn more about iFIT, ActivePulse™, and SmartAdjust™, visit those resources next.

Or, you can browse the treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, or rowers, that have ActivePulse™ and SmartAdjust™ technology available with an active iFIT subscription.

Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. NordicTrack assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment. A paid iFIT membership is required to access full content and features on equipment.