The iFit Experience Reviewed By David Bloom

If you’re an avid runner like me, there’s nothing quite like being outside on a cool sunny day, working up a sweat, and listening to your favorite running tunes. There’s something very liberating about being out there on the road, enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer.

But unfortunately, living in New York, I can’t always enjoy the great outdoors. Although I don’t mind being out in the cold, sometimes the weather is just not ideal for an enjoyable run. Thankfully, I have a NordicTrack treadmill enabled with iFit®.

For those who are unfamiliar with iFit, it’s a completely immersive workout experience that is about as close to running outdoors as you can get. In many ways it’s better because you have access to a number of tools and features that are unique to indoor running. You almost forget that you’re on the treadmill and not on your favorite road.

What I like most about iFit is that it’s ever-evolving. The company is constantly upgrading and adding new features, so you never get bored. There’s really nothing you can’t do with it!

Here are just some of the amazing experiences that iFit offers:

1. Challenging workouts for all levels.

Unlike many other treadmill brands, iFit gives you an endless library of unique, personalized workouts for you to choose from. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned runner, there’s an intensity level that is just right for you.

Currently there’s cross training, HIIT, studio biking, strength training, kickboxing, race preparation, recovery workouts, incline training, and different challenges that you can do on and off your machine. You can also just create your own workout if you prefer, and have the option of a map-, time-, or distance-based program.

Everything syncs to your NordicTrack treadmill, elliptical, bike or rower, and all of the workouts are trainer led, which not only helps to guide you through the workout, but is also a great motivational tool. The trainer will automatically change the speed, incline, and resistance of your machine to match the workout you choose.

You can access iFit at home or at the gym, and it’s easy to connect to your Bluetooth® equipment.

2. Travel to different destinations around the world.

One of my favorite iFit features is the ability to virtually run anywhere I want with Google® Maps. It’s something you won’t experience on any other treadmill, and it really makes you feel like you are someplace else, especially on one of the incline treadmills. You can hike in the Grand Canyon, backpack through Europe, or venture to remote locations with the Ends of the Earth program.

There’s also a program called Around the World in 30 Days, which was designed to show you all 7 continents while providing a challenging workout. That’s one of the newer programs and it’s very cool! If you already have an iFit membership, you can access the Around the World in 30 Days workout here.

3. Work out with certified personal trainers without the expensive monthly fees.

As I mentioned above, all iFit workouts are led by certified personal trainers, whether you choose indoor studio classes or outdoor workouts. If you’ve ever been to a health club, you’re probably aware of how expensive personal trainers are. Now imagine working out 3-4 days per week with a personal trainer, or however often you workout on your treadmill – it’s a luxury most of us simply can’t afford.

iFit Personal Trainers – NordicTrack Blog

With iFit, personal trainers are included in the yearly membership. And they’re all world-renowned coaches who love what they do and are very serious about getting you into great shape. The variety of trainer selection is very large, so you can work out with multiple trainers that suit your preferred training style for one or all of your workouts.

4. Meal prep with iFit recipe ideas.

The only way to see real results from your efforts is to not only work out hard but also eat well. These two things go hand in hand. iFit helps you with your diet as well with personalized meal plans delivered to your iFit app each day. There’s a team of expert dietitians and nutritionists that create healthy recipes just for you based on your weight goals. You can enter your preferred tastes and even any allergies that you may have.

iFit gives you not only breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, but also midday and after-dinner snacks, and your iFit tracker self-adjusts throughout the day so you stay on track to hit your recommended daily calorie intake.

5. Track your sleeping patterns.

As we all know getting adequate sleep is an important component of general wellness and helps you avoid many health conditions. iFit helps you with that as well by monitoring your sleep – recommending ways to improve it. It gives you personalized advice, daily alarms, and workout adjustments to help you sleep better.

I use my wearable, but you can also use the iFit Sleep HR Sensor, which works via Bluetooth® and tracks the quality of your rest by monitoring your heart and respiratory rate, as well as your nightly patterns.

6. Lots of other great features.

All of these great experiences are accessible through the iFit app, which you can utilize on your phone, tablet, or enabled exercise equipment. You can get real-time results anytime you’d like and keep track of your progress.

There’s also an iFit community where you can meet and interact with other iFit users. Find out about workouts that you haven’t tried yet, tell others about your experiences, create group chats, follow others’ progress, and even create your own challenges. Just like with the personal trainers, I find the iFit community to be very motivational. The environment pushes you to reach your fitness goals sooner.

As you can see, iFit is an incredible program with an ever-evolving number of experiences, features, and capabilities unlike anything else out there. It offers a complete wellness solution from exercise to nutrition to sleep and everything in between. To me, it’s well worth the membership fee for the workouts and personal trainers alone, not to mention everything else that’s included to help you get into the best shape of your life.

Author: David Bloom

David Bloom is an avid runner and fitness enthusiast who has been reviewing treadmills and other cardio equipment since 2006. He is a regular contributor to many well-regarded health and exercise websites.