Sanford Sports Performance and several Good Samaritan locations are using an anti-gravity treadmill in their rehabilitation programs. The AlterG helps patients regain balance and strength following illness, injury or surgery, and boosts performance for athletes.
The AlterG design is based on technology developed by NASA. It applies a uniform lifting force, resulting in a feeling of reduced body weight and comfortable support while users walk and run normally.
Exercise is key to maintaining wellness and optimizing recovery in older adults. But it’s also valuable to athletes training in Sanford Sports Performance facilities in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota. Athletes using the machine have the option to select between 20% and 100% of their full body weight. The benefits of less gravitational force include:
- Reducing pain and protecting healing tissue
- Providing safe and comfortable therapy
- Preventing muscle atrophy
- Decreasing swelling
- Allowing for a faster recovery
- Helping all fitness levels
Gwen Martin, a rehab therapy patient at Good Samaritan Society – Fort Collins Village in Colorado, calls the technology “thrilling.”
“It’s exhilarating seeing my legs move, because when I’m laying down or in my wheelchair I can’t move my legs,” Martin said. “I feel like I’m on the top of a mountain! It really motivates me to keep going.”
Anti-gravity treadmill helps all ages
In applications for both training and physical therapy rehabilitation, the AlterG helps a broad spectrum of people — top athletes, orthopedic and neurologic patients, pediatric and geriatric patients, and those looking to lose weight.
Athletic trainers with Sanford Orthopedics and Sports Medicine have referred their clients, such as a teenage track athlete with shin splints, to Sanford Sports Performance to train on the treadmill. Before the anti-gravity option, they would have recommended a pool or bike workout to maintain cardio health. But the treadmill allows recovering runners to practice their sport with less pain.
The treadmill is being used by sports professionals all over the world. They include football, basketball and baseball players. Top runners find it beneficial for overspeed training to enhance race times. In addition, AlterG was used on “The Biggest Loser” TV show.
Incorporating the AlterG into a training program or injury rehab helps participants build confidence. Athletes using it are more likely to prolong their careers with less impact on the body, maintain cardiovascular fitness, run longer and recover faster with less pain.
Learn more
- Sanford Sports running program designs plans for all levels
- Army of athletic trainers keeps athletes safe at Sanford
- Reduce the risk of falling with strength and mobility
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Posted In Rehabilitation & Therapy, Running, Sanford Sports, Senior Services, Sports Medicine
