Anti-gravity treadmill in Manchester

Get back to running quicker and smarter with our AlterG anti-gravity treadmill. Offering you a revolutionary approach to your rehabilitation journey, it will allow you to start your rehabilitation sooner and recover better by slowly easing yourself back to running with confidence.

What is an anti-gravity treadmill?

The AlterG anti-gravity treadmill is a specialist rehabilitation tool that uses air pressure to support a patient’s body weight and reduce the mechanical load going through their joints while walking or running. It can improve mobility and help to maintain or improve fitness.

Who is it suitable for?

It’s used by a wide range of patients and athletes who have suffered lower limb injuries or gone through surgery. That’s because it enables an individual to walk or run in a controlled environment, when walking or running over ground isn’t yet possible.

The two main types of user that typically benefit from using an anti-gravity treadmill are those who have heavily reduced mobility (e.g. following lower limb surgery) or those that need to manage the training load on their lower limbs (e.g. returning from a musculoskeletal lower limb injury).

How does it work?

When you arrive at the appointment, you will be given special shorts to wear, which will allow the AlterG to calibrate to your individual weight. This will in turn enable you to control the load on your joints, ranging from 100% to 20% of your body weight. The machine is used like a normal running machine, with you being able to control the speed and gradient.

What are the benefits of an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill?

• You can go back to running sooner – and smarter
• Accessible to everyone, this specialist equipment is used by both elite athletes and individual recreational runners
• You can control the load on your joints each week, allowing you to slowly build the amount of weight-bearing exercise
• We also have a team of specialist physiotherapists on site who can work with you to develop a bespoke training programme to maximise your time and experience with the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill

What to expect from your session

You’ll need to wear a pair of special shorts and be zipped into an airtight compartment on the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill. The compartment will then inflate with air and the treadmill will perform a calibration procedure. Following calibration, the body support percentage can be adjusted to provide an increased level of support to the body.

Treadmill speed and gradient can be manipulated to accommodate the type of rehab session required.

A typical session lasts 30–60 minutes, which can vary depending on your abilities and injury.

What to bring

• You’ll need to wear an appropriate sports kit to perform exercises in (e.g. shorts/leggings and t-shirt, trainers
• Any medication that may be needed due to allergies or exercise (e.g. EpiPen or inhaler)