Fitness
NordicTrack Rolls 50 Years Of Exercise Technology Into An Ultra-Luxury Fitness Product Line
Nordictrack Ultra 1 treadmill
NordicTrack is raising the bar in the home fitness equipment market. It is introducing the NordicTrack Ultra 1 treadmill, the first in a planned line of fitness gear that blends the performance expected from high-end exercise equipment with a design inspired by luxury furniture, making it fit for the most elegantly furnished home and office.
It’ll set you back $15,000, but then, it’s the Ferrari or Lamborghini-class treadmill in an industry dominated by virtual $2,000 Chevy or Ford models everyone else is running on.
After pioneering in the home fitness industry 50 years ago and outlasting every other brand in the business, NordicTrack continues its category-defining mission. The Ultra 1 is so revolutionary that it was launched at the Art Basel Miami Beach show in December, followed by its European introduction at the Paris Maison&Objet home decor and interiors fair.
“NordicTrack created Ultra 1 to celebrate its 50th anniversary and to fill a void in the high-end market. It’s the perfect combination of form and function,” shared Kevin Duffy, CEO of iFIT, NordicTrack’s parent company, along with the popularly priced Pro-Form product line and Freemotion serving the commercial market.
Unlike other NordicTrack and other iFIT products that are widely distributed internationally and domestically through Dicks Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Amazon, Costco, Fitshop and others, the Ultra 1 will only be available directly from iFit. It is taking pre-orders now in advance of shipment starting in May.
Staying Ahead Of The Competition
There is something to be said for a brand that has outlasted the competition in a home fitness market that has had its share of ups and downs over the years, most recently downs.
In the early days of the home fitness industry, it was all about the hardware with NordicTrack’s skier machine one of the first that was followed by treadmills and cross trainers.
Then the industry was bolstered by the digital revolution combining the equipment hardware with digital content and virtual interactive training software. It came just in time for the pandemic lockdowns that kept people out of the gym.
The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reports that in 2021 the home fitness industry posted a remarkable 16% growth rate that year as the rate of at-home workouts rose from 24% in 2019 to 36% in 2021. The trend has continued to increase as at-home convenience won out, and digital engagement substituted for personal training.
However, after people equipped their home gyms, the industry quickly settled back to its more or less usual 4% growth rate, going from $11.2 billion in 2022 to $11.6 billion in 2023, while the players geared up for continued heady growth.
BowFlex, formerly known as Nautilus and also owner of Schwinn, filed for bankruptcy in early 2024 and was acquired by Johnson Health Tech for $37.5 million in April last year.
In 2020, Lululemon made a major $500 million investment in Mirror fitness device and digital app but couldn’t make it work. Lululemon shut if down in 2023 and went with Peloton as its interactive fitness partner.
And Peloton has had a rough ride too, dropping nearly 4% to $2.7 billion in revenues in 2024 and down 6% through the first six months of fiscal year 2025.
L Catterton Makes A Big Bet
While iFIT is private and doesn’t reveal financial results, it is backed by L Catterton, which invested $355 million in 2022. At the time of the investment, managing partner Marc Magliacano said the company’s brands and iFIT integrated content platform transcends “venues, channels, product categories and geographies,” making it positioned “to win on a global scale.” Magliacano is now a member of the iFIT board.
Kevin Duffy joined iFIT shortly thereafter, taking over from long-time CEO Sam Waterson who remains on the board. Duffy previously was CEO of Sound United, a consumer technology company offering premium audio and home entertainment brands.
His team includes chief operating officer Matt Bush, who previously was with the Samsung Harman brand, chief product officer Keith Hartsfield, formerly with iRobot, and chief subscription officer Jeremy McCarty tasked with growing the iFIT subscriber base. He honed his subscription bona fides in the wireless, telecom, and smart home industries.
Besides having a content library of over 10k fitness and wellness courses, iFIT has also introduced an AI Coach to provide more personalized workouts suited to an individual’s fitness level and goals. Plus the iFIT app supports users without the company’s hardware. And through AI, it’s translated its full content library into ten different languages.
Playing To Win
The new NordicTrack Ultra 1 fills a void in the home fitness market that iFIT aims to dominate. “The fitness industry is filled with a lot of functional products,” Duffy explained. “But there aren’t any products that you want to take out out of the third bedroom or garage. That was the inspiration for the Ultra 1: to be both aesthetically beautiful and super functional.”
It’s crafted in wood and comes equipped with speakers and full body fans to keep users comfortable while navigating the virtual terrain during workouts. For example, you can virtually experience a Mt. Everest base camp run that automatically adjusts to the inclines and declines on the trail while enjoying the scenery.
“The controllers have been completely redesigned,” he continued. “They look like the throttle on a F15 airplane.” And it comes with a commercial-quality gym deck that provides significantly less impact on the knees. It even invites you to workout with a sensor that slowly begins to glow as you approach the machine.
I asked if an Ultra 1 customer could trade in their old equipment to knock a bit off the $15,000 price tag, but if it catches the right buyer’s eye, they probably don’t need it. However, they will get full white glove delivery service and their old treadmill can be taken away for recycling if desired.
“Our rebuying rate is relatively high,” Duffy explained, saying that about 15% of new purchases come from its existing client base, who want an upgrade to new equipment, “much like when Apple comes out with a new iPhone.”
Or the customer purchases a “complimentary modality,” like the new Tour de France indoor bike, the first and only officially licensed stationery bike that allows users to virtually ride alongside some of the world’s leading cyclists while enjoying the tour’s French country landscapes.
Staying Out Front
After NordicTrack’s 50 years as an industry leader and with iFIT behind it, the company keeps earning kudos. It was just named as one of the most innovative fitness and wellness companies of 2025 by Athletech News.
And it continues to innovate by crossing over into the gaming industry in partnership with Ergatta to make cardio workouts on rowers, treadmills and bikes “feel more like playing than exercising.”
Looking to the future, Duffy sees AI as being the ultimate game changer as people take control of their health and wellness journey. “The connected fitness, health and wellness industry is probably the best market to be in over the next ten years. Just look at the Consumer Electronics Show where so many self-monitoring health devices were featured. That gives people the information needed to be proactive about health rather than reactive as in the past.
“And within the health and wellness ecosystem with a lot of verticals, such as nutrition and sleep, fitness is the most crucial. Being ahead in AI for fitness is one of our unique advantages,” he concluded.
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It’s important to have goals in mind as you set out on your fitness journey, whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle or train for a race.skynesher/Supplied
January is notoriously the busiest time of year at the gym. A survey from Ipsos reported that a third of Canadians made exercise-based resolutions for the new year, with many folks working out for the first time or returning to fitness after some time away. If you’re new to exercise, the gym can feel like an intimidating place. But it doesn’t need to be. Below we’ve put together a few suggestions to help you get started.
Have a plan going in
For success at the gym, it’s crucial to have a plan. Before you start, it’s important to identify your goals. Are you looking to get stronger? Training for a race or competition? Do you want to improve body composition? While almost any consistent exercise is going to improve your overall health, specific results require specific training.
Following a workout program can help you stay committed – here’s how to write your own
Those completely new to working out may want to invest in a few sessions with a personal trainer. A reputable trainer will be able to put together a plan based on your preferences and skill level, while walking you through the proper form for each exercise. If cost is an issue, many gyms offer a free intro training session as a sign-up perk. There are also hundreds of different workout programs you can find online and video tutorials outlining proper form.
If you’re intimidated to exercise on your own, a fitness class allows you to follow along with an instructor while getting some quick pointers on how to properly perform the workout. Many gyms offer discounted or free classes to first-time visitors.
Trying to do too much, too fast will burn you out, leave you injured or both
When you’re motivated by a new year’s resolution, it’s tempting to pencil in long gym sessions multiple times a week. But that kind of regime is rarely sustainable. If you’d like to make exercising a habit beyond January – and you’ll need to for any kind of lasting results – it’s best to think about what you can do in the long term.
“You can either do an hour of weightlifting a few days a week, and actually do it, or you have these imaginary 10-hour training sessions you’ll never actually have time for,” said Dan John, strength coach and author. “I try to focus on [programs that are] doable, repeatable and reasonable.”
Want to focus on healthy aging in 2026? Here are 10 nutrition tips to start the new year
Similarly, trying to immediately push beyond your physical limitations is a great way to get injured. For weightlifting, it’s important to consider proper warm-ups, active mobility exercises and learning the right techniques before trying to lift anything too heavy. For cardio, Canada Running Series offers a Couch to 5K plan that eases newcomers into jogging by starting small and gradually increasing the length/difficulty of each run.
Follow basic gym etiquette
The gym is a shared public space. Everyone there is trying to get in a good workout. That’s harder to do when people are having phone conversations, listening to videos without using headphones and refusing to wipe down their equipment after use.
In March, fitness trainer Paul Landini wrote an article explaining some unofficial rules to follow when going to the gym, including being mindful of other people’s space and making sure you’re not monopolizing equipment during busy hours.
Try to find what you like about the gym
Changes in body composition, strength and overall health take time. They also need upkeep over the long term. Building a consistent fitness habit is something that will help with all those goals. One of the best ways to do that is finding something at the gym you genuinely enjoy doing. That can be working out with a friend to add a social aspect to exercise and accountability to show up. It can entail learning a new fitness-adjacent skill such as boxing or training for a competition like Hyrox. It can be rooted in the sense of accomplishment that comes with getting stronger. Whatever the reason, finding the joy in exercise is going to be key if you want to move beyond short-term motivation.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Finding time to work out as a mom with young kids can be a challenge in itself, especially when you’re new to an area and don’t know where to start. However, a new fitness option strolled into Sioux Falls today. iStroll offers moms the chance to work out and meet other moms all while their kids can play or even join alongside them.
iStroll is a national organization that has more than 35 locations in the country but this is the first time one opened in South Dakota. It’s a full body workout that incorporates dumbbells, body weight, and jogging strollers when the weather’s nice.
“I found iStroll in Oklahoma and fell in love,” said Kelsi Supek who started the affiliate in Sioux Falls. “We made friends. It became our entire social network. The kids loved it and then we moved to Arizona during COVID. And all the moms were stuck at home. They were inside with our kids and lonely, honestly. And we were like, why can’t we start an iStroll and be out at the parks with the kids every day? And it took off.”
When Supek moved to Sioux Falls, she was encouraged by her family to start an affiliate and own it herself.
“Gym daycares did not work out for my children,” said Supek. “I would get 10 minutes into a class and then I’d have that person trying to knock outside the yoga studio going, Can I have Kelsey and her kids screaming in daycare? And it just didn’t work for us. So at iStroll they could be with me or I could be breastfeeding the baby as I was teaching in class.”
Classes are planned to continue each Wednesday and Friday at We Rock the Spectrum and First Presbyterian Church. For a full schedule for January and February, you can look at their Facebook. The first class is also free and memberships are for the whole family.
“Letting the kids see you work out is, it’s similar to homeschooling where like, you know, how are they going to love working out if they don’t see you working out,” said Kelly Jardeleza, a stay-at-home mom of three kids. “Whereas at other gyms they put them in a room and they don’t get to watch you. And how are you going to inspire them if they’re not watching you do it?”
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
There’s no bad time to take a more active interest in your health, but the new year, for lots of us, feels like a fresh start. Maybe you’re planning to sign up for a 10k or finally have a go at bouldering, eat a bit better or learn to swing a kettlebell. Maybe you want to keep up with your grandkids — or just be a little bit more physically prepared for whatever life throws at you.
To help things along, Guardian Live invites you to a special event with public health expert Devi Sridhar, journalist and author Mariella Frostrup, and health and fitness columnist Joel Snape. They’ll be joining the Guardian’s Today in Focus presenter Annie Kelly to discuss simple, actionable ways to stay fit and healthy as you move through the second half of life: whether that means staying strong and mobile or stressing less and sleeping better.
To make the whole event as helpful as possible, we’d love to hear from you about what you find most challenging — or confusing — when it comes to health and exercise. What should you actually be eating, and how are you going to find the time to make it? What sort of exercise is best, and how often should you be doing it? Is Pilates worth the effort — and should we really all be drinking mugfuls of piping hot creatine?
Whether your question is about exercise, eating, or general wellness, post it below and we’ll put a selection to our panel on the night.
Share your experience
You can post your question to the panel using this form.
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