Defy Gravity & Go Moonwalking on the First Ever AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill in the Philippines!

When you see TV or movie clips of people in outer space or walking on the moon, do you also wonder how it must be to feel weightless and how movements are affected by the lack of gravity? I have but I've never, in my wildest dreams, thought I'd feel even a fraction of that experience.

So imagine my excitement when my husband and I were invited to try out AlterG, the first anti-gravity treadmill in the Philippines introduced by Kinetics Advance Physiotherapy. Since we are runners, we were really curious what the machine looks like, what exactly does it do, and what kind of technology it uses to make people feel weightless while they run.

Once in the clinic, my husband immediately put on the special AlterG compression shorts that looked like it has a skirt with zippers on top. He was zipped onto a bubble-like enclosure made of ultra tough and industrial-grade materials to lock the air pressure around his legs.

Kinetics' Clinical Supervisor Edman G. Merino challenged my husband's running capabilities by adjusting the calibrations on the AlterG's dashboard by increasing and decreasing hubby's weight (via the pressurized air), the treadmill speed, and angle of the incline. There were also cameras around the AlterG to monitor one's gait as seen on a TV screen. 

Next in line was Chris Newsome, a basketball player from Ateneo. This very fit athlete stayed on the machine for almost an hour, impressing us with his endurance. Here's a real-time video I took of him running like an astronaut with his legs in slow motion inside the bubble. There are no camera tricks here. Just an athlete running at less than half of his weight.

When it was my turn, I had to pose first for an OOTD (Kidding! I want you to see the skirt-like shorts better :p) before getting zipped up on the AlterG. The ladies who assisted me patiently answered my questions and encouraged me to run faster by increasing the speed while significantly decreasing my weight. I swear, it was a lot of fun running without having to feel the whole weight of my lower body. I noticed I didn't tire easily and kept going for more than 10 minutes. I couldn't sustain that kind of energy on regular practice runs!

We were told that the AlterG was developed parallel to the technology used by NASA to train astronauts, giving its users the opportunity to run and train without pain. This is made possible through its unweighting technology, which precisely reduces one's weight up to 80% while walking or running on the machine -- something that resembles the feeling of walking on the moon.

Now I know why AlterG is recognized by specialists abroad as an integral part of the world's best athletes' training and rehabilitation! According to Dr. Charles Preston, MD, of Muir Orthopedic Specialists from Walnut Creek, CA, after he started prescribing AlterG's weight bearing therapy, his patients with ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) are jogging earlier than ever. "The machine makes it easier and less painful for my patients to begin closed kinetic chain movement faster after surgery," he described.

Thus, AlterG's many benefits have led to the patronage of notable sports teams such as the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Bears, LA Lakers, and Manchester United; and elite distance runners Dathan Ritzenhein and Shannon Rowbury.

Beyond athletics, AlterG is also a rehabilitation tool that has likewise transformed how physical therapists help senior patients and those with post-operative conditions like stroke, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, among others, to return to their normal physical routine, without the risk of injuries. This is due to machine's ability to unweigh individuals, which reduces the dangers of further muscular tissue damage. 

Results gathered from the AlterG also goes beyond physical benefits as it also gives patients an emotional and physiological effect of hope and recovery because of its ability to restore mobility faster and even increase self-confidence. Upon the suggestion of my coaches, I tried "falling" while on the machine and the zipped up shorts held me up. So I can imagine how this security feature could really help those with weak muscles. 

In addition, aside from its use to speed up and aid rehabilitation, AlterG also provides horizontally challenged people a way to shed added weight pressure on the lower body during a run on the machine. Alongside a strict diet and continuous use of the AlterG for cardio exercises, running on this machine has been proven to be a more effective path to weight-loss as compared to other cardio exercises. 

Here in the Philippines, Kinetics Advanced Physiotherapy is the first and only rehabilitation clinic and gym crossover that gives the game changing experience of the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill. You can be assured that Kinetic's rehabilitation team is equipped with the proper knowhow and training to address your concerns and objectives, in the best and fastest way possible.

Visit Kinetics at 11/F Unit 1102, 20th Drive Corporate Center, 20th Drive Lot 14, McKinley Business Park, Fort, BGC Taguig. For inquiries and more information on AlterG and Kinetics' many other services, log on to www.alterg.com.ph, like www.facebook.com/KineticsPH, email info@alterg.com.ph, or call 0915.4260680 or 02.8871409.