IFIT is Bringing Mt. Everest to Your Home Workout

The past year has been a steep trek, no doubt. Now it’s time to enjoy the view.

During this pandemic, online training options like Zoom workouts and IG Live sweat sessions have shown us that you really don’t need a gym in order to get your workouts in. However, they probably also exposed you to a bit more than you bargained for—like, say, some superstar influencer trainer’s dirty microwave in the background.

That said, online training has opened up a world of possibilities, allowing us to explore new trainers, modalities, and even global destinations via workouts streamed from far-flung locations across the globe. And next week may provide the most epic virtual workout of them all.

On Monday, March 22, interactive connected fitness platform iFit will push the limit of virtual fitness, when it streams what will most likely be the first-ever live workout from Mount Everest.

The workout, “A Sunrise Trek on Everest,” will be available to iFit members and non-members alike via the iFit app. (If you’re not an iFit member, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial, which will grant you access to the Mount Everest event.)

The approximately 30-minute virtual hike, led by iFit trainers Kenton Cool, Lydia Bradey, and Ang Tshering Lama—all Everest-experienced guides and mountaineers, with over a dozen Everest summits between the three of them—will lead viewers up Kala Patthar, an iconic trail at 18,300 feet with breathtaking views of Everest’s iconic peak.

Those with access to an iFit-connected treadmill or elliptical from a brand like NordicTrack, ProForm, or Freemotion, will be able to take in an even more lifelike virtual experience. The platform’s patented LiveAdjust technology, which automatically increases and decreases compatible equipment’s incline, decline, speed, and resistance during workouts. During “A Sunrise Trek on Everest,” iFit will automatically adjust the incline of these machines in real time to match the actual terrain of the trail on Everest.

“A Sunrise Trek on Everest” will begin at 8 p.m. EST to coincide with sunrise in Nepal. Due to streaming capacity in the remote and high-altitude Mt. Everest region, capacity for the workout will be limited. However, the workout will be added to iFit’s on-demand workout library following the live stream.

The 12-person iFit team is currently on location on Mt. Everest, filming an 18-part workout series titled “Everest: A Trek to Base Camp.” The series, scheduled to release later this spring, consists of steady-state cardio treks with Bradey, exhilarating climbs with Cool, and active-recovery sessions with Lama. In addition to the physical rigors of virtually hiking the most epic mountain on the planet, you can also look forward to learning about the history and culture of Nepal as you soak up the scenery and make your way to Mt. Everest Base Camp.