What is iFit Live?
The iFit wireless card connects your fitness equipment (which must be outfitted with an iFit port) to the internet. The iFit card also stores and tracks your workouts, meals, creates personalized workouts, and connects to Google Maps replicating terrain for you (and displaying the actual terrain and sights on your screen) to train on.
iFit Live is a wireless card-like gadget that plugs into the consoles of select treadmills sold at:
- ProForm; and
- WorkoutWarehouse
There are two components to the iFit technology
First, the treadmill (or elliptical) console must have an iFit port.
Second, you need the iFit wireless card which plugs into the treadmill iFit port. The iFit wireless card delivers the internet to your treadmill screen. The iFit wireless card also stores workouts and a variety of your personalzied workout data (see features and benefits below).
Oh yeah, you obviously need a computer and a wireless internet connection in your home or wherever you’ll be using iFit.
What are iFit Features and Benefits? Why get it?
iFit Live comes with all the following features and benefits:
1. iFit Google Maps
The coolest feature of iFit is the Google Maps feature. With this feature you can replicate any terrain that Google Maps has mapped (which is pretty much everywhere). So, for example, if you want to run the Boston marathon route on your treadmill or incline trainer, you simply upload the Boston Marathon route to your iFit wireless card and plug it in to the iFit port on your treadmill or incline trainer. Your workout will replicate the terrain of the Boston Marathon – with the incline automatically adjusting as you run the hills on the Boston Marathon route. If you mount your laptop or iPhone on your treadmill console, you can view the terrain from Google Street Level and watch the scenery as you progress through the course.
2. iFit Nutrition
Record and store your meals and calories. Plan meals for optimal training. iFit Live stores and plans all your nutrition information.
3. iFit Workout Tracking
Track calories burned for pretty much any workout – swimming, weight lifting, basketball, running, etc.
4. iFit is iPhone Compatible
Track your workouts on your iPhone with the iFit iPhone app.
5. Jillian Michaels’ Workouts
Jillian Michaels is a nationally recognized trainer and wellness expert having appeared on the The Biggest Loser TV show. The iFit is programmed with numerous Jillian Michaels workouts. Read more about Jillian Michaels.
Is iFit Live worth buying?
If you have a treadmill with an iFit port or are buying a treadmill with an iFit port AND you run races, iFit is definitely worth buying. If you like running races, iFit lets you train the exact terrain of pretty much any race you’ll be running. You can’t get much better training than that. As you can tell from above, I’m only keen about the iFit Google Maps integration. It’s pretty expensive (there’s an ongoing monthly cost in addition to the upfront purchase) just to track and store workouts and meals.
That said, I suspect iFit live will add features in the future – with internet and computer integration, the sky is the limit. What this means is if you are interested in internet and computer integration with your fitness equipment, and you’re in the market for a treadmill, then you may narrow down your choices to those with iFit.
Attaching a laptop to your treadmill
You can buy a treadmill laptop holder that easily attaches to your treadmill (or other exercise equipment). I feature the treadmill laptop holder here.
Where can you buy the iFit wireless card?
If you’re buying a treadmill (or any fitness equipment item) with an iFit port, then you can buy the wireless iFit card here.
iFit technology has limited availability
iFit was developed by ICON Health and Fitness which owns ProForm and Workout Warehouse. This means at this time you can only get iFit technology from select treadmills sold at ProForm and Workout Warehouse. Between the two there are many treadmill options to choose from.
Related posts:
