NordicTrack has produced cross-country ski trainers since Edward Pauls founded the company in 1975. Although NordicTrack now produces a variety of other fitness equipment, including treadmills, incline trainers and elliptical trainers, the ski machines, still in production, have changed little over the years.
NordicTrack skiers also offer a low-impact cardio and muscle-toning workout for the average exerciser, although ski machines provide less range of motion for the knees and hips than a treadmill, stair stepper or elliptical trainer.
Step 1
Twist the knob on the hip pad counter-clockwise to loosen it. Adjust the hip pad so that, when you stand on the machine’s skis, the pad rests about an inch below your belly button. Twist the knob clockwise to tighten the hip pad in place.
Step 2
Step onto the skier. Place your feet on the ski foot treads and position yourself against the hip pad.
Step 3
Shift your weight to your left foot and push back with that foot, sliding the left ski back underneath you. Your left heel will come up at the back of the stride.
Step 4
Weight your right foot and push it back, allowing the left ski to slide forward. Continue alternating feet, holding onto the skier’s console or vertical column for support until you’ve mastered the foot motion.
Step 5
Twist the resistance knob clockwise to increase the ski resistance if you feel yourself sliding back away from the hip pad. Twist the knob counter-clockwise to decrease resistance if you can’t keep the skis moving smoothly. Only adjust the resistance knob when the skis are in motion.
Step 6
Grasp the upper body poles or cord handles once your leg motion is smooth and consistent. Swing your arms opposite your legs; when your right foot is forward, your right arm should be back.
Tips and Warnings
- Some older NordicTrack models have a sliding ski resistance adjuster on the vertical column, instead of a resistance knob. To adjust the drag strap adjuster, stop skiing. Tilt the adjuster to free it, then slide it up to increase resistance or down to decrease resistance. The upper body poles or cords have a separate resistance knob from the skis. Turn this knob clockwise to increase the upper-body resistance or counter-clockwise to decrease the resistance.
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