The Alter G Treadmill: Life-Changing Tech or Just Hype?


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What if, after an injury, you could work on increasing the strength in the injured area without adding the stress of a typical workout? Have you ever imagined running on a treadmill in a weightless environment? What if you could exercise without the strain on your joints caused by normal running? That day may be here with the Alter G Treadmill.

Using technology originally designed for NASA, the Alter G treadmill makes you weightless. This technology allows for a more beneficial workout without the associated stress on any injury you might have. This unique treadmill enables individuals to run or walk in a gravity-free environment. It works by lowering the percentage of their body weight impacting the surface of the treadmill. So far, it has proven very useful in clinical settings because it makes it possible for patients to perform rehabilitation physical therapy without experiencing as much pain.

What Is an Alter G Treadmill?

Alter G, founded in 2005, develops transformative equipment that inspires and empowers individuals to achieve their physical aspirations. According to Alter G, their treadmills not only augment physical deficits but also increase mobility. Their equipment is used to improve orthopedic rehabilitation, athletic performance, for active aging programs, and in the management of chronic and neurological conditions.

The Alter G treadmill utilizes the patented Differential Air Pressure (DAP) technology initially invented for NASA in the 1990s. A NASA biomechanics researcher by the name Robert Whalen invented the anti-gravity treadmill. This was after he realized that astronauts were losing bone density and weight due to the zero-gravity environment.

The original invention used a pressurized air chamber that helped in stimulating gravitational load. Upon realizing that the converse reduction of gravity on earth could have numerous benefits and applications, they reversed engineered this technology to achieve the Differential Air Pressure system that is used in every Alter G treadmill today.

What Alter G Offers

The Alter-G antigravity treadmill is perfect for injured athletes or patients recovering from debilitative injuries. Alter G allows people to gain strength, mobility, natural movement, and enhanced fitness without putting too much stress on the point of injury. It can help boost an athlete’s confidence and reduce the risk of further injury. This anti-gravity treadmill allows a user to retain gait without injury compensations and maintain good cardiovascular condition. Apart from rehabilitation centers, this treadmill has also become quite popular among celebrities and athletes.

Common features in Alter G treadmills

There are some features you can expect to get in almost every Alter G treadmill. These include:

Live video monitoring

There must be a collaboration between the athlete/patient and trainer/therapist to achieve successful rehabilitation. The Alter G live video monitoring system makes this an easy process. The system helps trainers and therapists communicate, share therapy goals, and allows patients to see gait asymmetries that they might not feel. This feature records video and can play clips in stop, slow motion, and normal speed to enable patients and athletes to see their movements. This helps in correcting gait and stride. As a result, you will be able to achieve improved motor learning and better outcomes.

Alter G Assistant

Another feature present in most Alter G treadmills is the Alter G Assistant. This feature allows you to create programmed workouts and protocols for your Alter G treadmill. A personalized login feature allows program access.

Body weight adjustment

The Alter G treadmills also feature body weight adjustment, which allows you to adjust your body weight from 100 percent to as little as 20 percent in 1-percent increments. This feature allows you to run or walk at a lighter weight than your actual body weight. As a result, there is a reduced risk of injury.

Stride Smart Gait Analytics

Stride Smart Gait Analytics is a fundamental feature in an Alter G treadmill. It amplifies the power of anti-gravity therapy by enabling real-time, intuitive, and objective data assessment. By integrating gait analytics, pain recording, and Alter G precision unweighting, the Stride Smart Gait Analytics helps clinicians to make the best decisions and make corrections on the fly. Stride Smart allows you to see the actual effects of loading and unloading. This feature enables the optimization of therapy and rehabilitation in a wide variety of clinical settings.

Warranty

Every Alter G treadmill comes with a one-year warranty from the date of purchase that covers all manufacturing defects.

PRO 500 treadmill

Alter G describes the PRO 500 anti-gravity treadmill as an excellent treadmill for sports injury and elite athlete training. This Alter G treadmill has great features that make it perfect for rehabilitation.

The PRO 500 features Stride Smart Gait Analytics offer real-time gait data. The objective feedback on rehab progress from this feature boosts the athletes’ motivation. In addition, this treadmill features body weight adjustment. Live video monitoring is also included to help athletes and patients see their actual movements to adjust their stride accordingly.

The Alter G PRO 500 treadmill supports 85 to 1,000 pounds of weight. Also, it has an incline of up to 15 percent and a speed of 0 to 18 mph.

VIA treadmill

Similar to the PRO 500 treadmill, the Alter G VIA treadmill has some of the standard features in Alter G treadmills. Body weight adjustment, Stride Smart Gait Analytics, and live video monitoring make this a great middle-of-the-road treadmill.

The other similarity the VIA Alter G treadmill has to the PRO treadmill is that it has an incline of up to 15 percent. However, this treadmill only has a speed of 0 to 12 mph and a lower weight limit of 85 to 400 pounds.

FIT treadmill

Alter G describes their FIT treadmill as the most affordable anti-gravity treadmill in their line. It lacks a few Alter G features, including the Stride Smart Gait Analytics, live video monitoring, and AlterG Assistant, but still has a lot to offer. It does include body weight adjustment, allowing you to experience the benefits of anti-gravity training. In addition, it has a speed of 0 to 12 mph and supports a weight of 80 to 350 pounds.

The only disadvantage of this treadmill is that it does not have incline capability. This makes it unsuitable for athletes whose goal might be to achieve a higher level of fitness. It remains an excellent choice for therapy patients recovering from injuries or maintaining a standard level of fitness. Even without the incline, this is an excellent option for the elderly who want to heal or to continue at a sustained level of physical activity.

What We Like About the Alter G Treadmill Features

The things we liked about the Alter G treadmill are many. We love that this treadmill is not only suitable for therapy patients but also for athletes. This means anyone who wants to train effectively while minimizing injury can do so. The fact that it has therapeutic benefits also makes it perfect for people who suffer from injuries and might not be able to participate in regular physical activities.

We also liked the fact that the treadmills have specific features you would find in regular treadmills, such as speed and incline capability. This means it is possible to attain improved levels of fitness on Alter G treadmills. Another thing we loved is the attention to detail. The fact that there are live monitoring and gait analytics makes these treadmills even more useful for therapeutic purposes.

What We Didn’t Like About Alter G Treadmills

The most significant thing we did not like about the Alter G treadmill is that they are quite expensive compared to regular treadmills. However, this is understandable considering you wouldn’t get the same benefits an Alter G treadmill offers from a regular treadmill.

Alter G Treadmill Budget

Alter G treadmills can be quite expensive depending on which model you purchase. This, unfortunately, keeps them out of the home market for most consumers. Some therapy centers do provide rental periods that allow you to experience the equipment at a nominal cost.

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How Alter G Treadmills Compare to Other Major Brands

There is no doubt that the Alter G treadmill would be a great addition to any home. Gordon Ramsey is reaping the benefits of the Alter G anti-gravity treadmill since he bought one for his home. Unfortunately, most of us cannot afford this luxury. We compared the Alter G treadmill to two popular anti-gravity treadmills that are slightly more affordable to find out if it still has the upper hand.

How we reviewed

We compared what these anti-gravity treadmills have to offer regarding features and compared them to the Alter G treadmills. In addition, we examined the budget to find out which of the treadmills is the most viable option.

Boost Anti-Gravity Treadmill

The Boost Anti-Gravity Treadmills are a great alternative to the Alter G treadmill. Boost treadmills have a lot of similar features and capabilities. For one, both companies partner with Woodway, one of the leading treadmill manufacturers to develop their base treadmills. This means you can expect nothing short of top-notch treadmills. The Boost Anti-Gravity treadmill also features an 80 percent weight reduction. This allows you to train more effectively without the risk of injury.

What’s more, the treadmill has an incline of 15 percent. This is similar to what the VIA and PRO 500 from Alter G offer. The Boost Treadmill also has a speed of up to 18 mph, which matches the PRO 500 but is higher than what you get from the FIT and VIA models. This alternative unit from Boost supports a weight of 70 to 400 pounds.

Overall, the Boost and Alter G treadmills are very similar. However, certain things make Boost a good option. First, the Boost treadmills are more affordable. Another advantage you get from Boost is that they offer free training for all users. They do this to ensure that you know how to the machine correctly. Lastly, with Boost, speeds of up to 18 mph are great if you want to increase your intensity of training as you go.

Lightspeed Lift

The Lightspeed Lift is really the only viable at-home option for lower gravity workouts on a home treadmill. The Lightspeed Lift takes off 20 to 30 pounds of your body weight. This allows you to feel lighter as you run or walk on the treadmill.

Unlike the Alter G and Boost treadmills that use high-tech air pressure-controlled chambers, Lightspeed Lift is simpler. It features bungee cords attached to a metal frame that fits around a treadmill. In addition, it comes with bike shorts that are connected by Velcro to the bungee cords. The cords act like a harness that suspends the user over the treadmill. The amount of weight taken off is controlled by adjusting the height of the frame.

Although the Lightspeed Lift does not include the high-tech features in the Boost and Alter G treadmills, it is a great alternative for a runner who wants to enjoy the benefits of anti-gravity training without spending an arm and a leg.

Is It a Good Idea to Get an Alter G Treadmill?

Alter G is clearly the industry leader when it comes to the manufacture of anti-gravity treadmills. Therefore, if you are willing to splurge on the Alter G treadmill, you will not regret it. It comes with incredible features. These will help you recover if you have sports injuries or other aches that prevent you from running. For athletes, this treadmill will help them achieve a higher level of fitness and the ability to train without the risk of injury.

The Alter G treadmill might also be a great fit for someone who wants to start or already owns a rehabilitation center. These treadmills have been proven to be very beneficial for therapeutic use and injury rehabilitation.

However, if you are on a tight budget, it would be better to go with the Lightspeed Lift. Whichever choice you make, you will surely enjoy the benefits of anti-gravity training with these treadmills.

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