Nautilus - the company that started it all! (at least for people under 60 years old). In the 1970s, Nautilus revolutionized the fitness world by inventing exercise machines that spread resistance evenly over the full range of a muscle's movement. Since then the company has diversified into manufacturing many kinds of exercise equipment. It is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. Its stock is publicly-traded on the NASDAQ. Nautilus now brings its experience in commercial gym equipment to the consumer.