How Anti-Gravity Treadmills Benefit Runners
Why are anti-gravity treadmills so revolutionary? Well, the specialized equipment works on the body in such as way as to help a range of people, from patients recovering from surgery, to athletes training for a marathon. The secret to the anti-gravity treadmill’s dramatic success lies in the way in which the device creates the same level of reduced gravity that astronauts experience.
How Anti-Gravity Treadmills Work
The pedigree for the anti-gravity treadmill is impressive. NASA developed the technology now utilized in anti-gravity treadmills. These days, that know-how enables “civilians” to manipulate how the environment perceives their “apparent,” or actual, body weight through the anti-gravity technology. Because of the resulting decreased pressure, patients and athletes can work out with a less stress placed on their joints.
The machine itself includes a lower-body, airtight “skirt,” which can be adjusted to manipulate gravitational resistance. As the intensity is increased or decreased, the air pressure in the capsule adjusts accordingly.
Effective Results
Although people aren’t always conscious about it, air pressure puts a great deal of strain on muscles and joints. Over time, working out in normal gravity situations can result in overuse injuries — often, ironocally, made even worse when people avoid working out altogether to escape the pain.
Yet not working out not only stiffens up problematic joints, but also leads to slackened muscles and poor heart health. An anti-gravity treadmill allows you the best of both worlds — the benefits of cardio, with reduced joint strain.
Anyone Can Benefit
While some specialized equipment is either too challenging, or not challenging enough, to meet a wide range of needs, the adjustable nature of the anti-gravity treadmill offers universal applications. Among its many uses are:
- Injury recovery. Physical therapy is often the best path to healing torn ligaments and fractures without surgery. The anti-gravity treadmill allows you to stay fit, without aggravating your original injury.
- Surgical recovery. For people who aren’t able to avoid surgery, the anti-gravity treadmill’s adjustable resistance tension allows you to gradually “come back” as your health improves and you’re cleared to push a little bit harder each time. In addition, many patients are able speed their overall recovery by improving circulation and endurance.
- Athletic training. Distance running, in particular, requires long workout sessions in order to build endurance. The treadmill allows you to put in that time, without making your joints pay the price. In addition, runners are able to work on their form because they have lower-body support that slows issues like buckling and muscle exhaustion.
Call Agility Physical Therapy today and speak with our experts!