This New Technology Lets Your Heart Rate Control Your Treadmill In Real Time

These days, there's no shortage of ways to track your heart rate, thanks to the myriad tools, devices, apps, and gadgets designed to help you keep tabs on your ticker whether you're exercising or chillin' on the couch. But a cool new technology is flipping the script on traditional heart-rate monitoring. iFit, a connected and interactive fitness platform, announced the launch of ActivePulse, a new feature that allows your heart rate to automatically adjust the speed and incline of your treadmill — meaning you can log your miles without worrying about whether you're training in your optimal heart rate zone.

In case you need a refresher on heart-rate training, it's a method used by elite athletes and everyday fitness enthusiasts alike in which you learn and train in your specific heart-rate zone to help you get the best results from low-, moderate-, and high-intensity exercise. Heart-rate training can improve your overall fitness, reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and lower your blood pressure, to name just a few benefits. (This 30-day cardio HIIT challenge is guaranteed to boost your heart rate.)

While it's pretty easy to monitor your heart rate during a workout, manually adjusting your intensity mid-exercise to stay in your optimal heart-rate zone can be tricky. If you've ever hastily sped up or slowed down your steps after glancing at your Apple Watch, you're surely well-acquainted with how tedious it is to make sure you're staying in a heart-rate zone that's both safe and effective for your body.

But iFit's new ActivePulse feature helps you accomplish this goal by monitoring your heart rate and creating a real-time feedback loop between your measured heart rate and the treadmill's speed and incline. Using advanced algorithms, ActivePulse will gradually "learn" your unique behavior patterns during workouts, ensuring that your time on the treadmill is most effective for your specific health needs and goals. (

ActivePulse will be available on all iFit-controlled NordicTrack, ProForm, and Freemotion treadmills after a software update coming this month, and will soon be available on the brands' stationary bikes, rowers, and ellipticals. If you've already got one, just make sure you download the latest software update (once it's available) and you're good to go.

Looking to add a treadmill to your at-home workout routine so you can take advantage of iFit's new offerings? For a no-fuss, yet powerful model, try the NordicTrack T Series 6.5S Treadmill, (Buy It, $695, amazon.com), which includes a one-month iFit membership, a shock-absorbing belt that feels like you're running on clouds, and a simple 5-inch display that allows you to seamlessly keep track of your pace and timing.

If you're willing to splurge a little more, a pricier pick with killer reviews is the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill (Buy It, $1,998, amazon.com). It includes a one-year iFit membership along with an immersive 10-inch interactive HD touchscreen to stream on-demand iFit workouts, a cushioned belt designed specifically for runners, and a compact design with EasyLift assist to help you fold the treadmill and stash it away when you're done.