NordicTrack x7i could let you jog on the moon
Running on a treadmill is inherently boring. But what if you could switch things up and simulate actual, real-world topography?
Your Technotronic playlist aside, running on a treadmill is inherently boring because you're stuck in a room running on the same platform. But what if you could switch things up and simulate actual, real-world topography?
The NordicTrack x7i Interactive Incline Trainer, which goes for $2,000, is loaded with Wi-Fi to interface with iFit Live, a fitness database that pulls actual trail and marathon routes from Google Maps (which, though not supported in the limited official workout library at this time, should really include Google Moon). Among the trails that are included: the Delicate Arch Trail at Arches National Park, Diamond Head Trail in Hawaii, Bright Angel at the Grand Canyon, Skyline Trail at Mount Rainier, and Panorama at Yosemite National Park.
Once you select a route, the corresponding information shifts your incline dynamically (up to a 40-degree incline, down to a 6-degree decline), plus you get to see a bird's eye view that allows you to track progress through your practice environment. You can even take a look from the ground level through Google Street View.
Now, if only the NordicTrack x7i weren't a treadmill, we'd really be on to something.
This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.