You’ve been thinking about a weight loss program for a long time now, and maybe you’ve even tried a number of things. New diets, exercise regimens, possibly hypnosis, and maybe you’ve even considered surgery. Those things are all fine, but have you considered using the AlterG to help you achieve your weight loss goals?
By using Differential Air Pressure Technology, the AlterG allows overweight individuals to feel what it would be like to be at their desired weight, providing motivation to stay disciplined and achieve their weight loss goals. Reducing body weight and pressure on their joints, also allows patients to exercise safely and effectively without hip, knee, ankle, or foot pain.
Here’s some of the scientific evidence:
- A large randomized controlled trial at Texas A+M University divided 51 women using diet plans into two groups; half exercised on the AlterG and the other half used a weight-loss program. The results showed that the women who used the AlterG, and got to experience what losing weight would feel like, worked out more vigorously. The AlterG users showed statistically significant improvements in free-fat mass and body fat loss compared to the non-AlterG group.
Published: J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2011; 8(Suppl 1): P2 - A case series from the United Kingdom (not yet published) showed that individuals participating in a weight loss program on the AlterG completed 91% of their exercises, as opposed to the typical 50%. These people were “happy” to do the exercise and each of them achieved significant weight loss.
- A published master’s degree thesis was completed at the PanAm Clinic in Canada by Judit Takacs with professor Jeff Leiter. These overweight people also had moderate knee pain from osteoarthritis. By exercising on the AlterG they were able to unweight themselves until they were pain free. This not only enabled them to exercise but it also gives them a very precise target weight goal.
Based on the experience of the people who have successfully used the AlterG for weight loss, their trainers or therapists, and the available evidence, we have two simple and effective ways to use the AlterG for weight loss.
#1: Feel your new weight
Feeling and exercising at your desired weight can be incredibly empowering. For example, if you weighed 200 pounds and your goal weight was 160 pounds, you could unweight 20% of your body and experience exercising at 160 pounds.
Another way you could find your target weight is by using a BMI calculator. Using the previous example, if the 200-pound individual is 66 inches tall, their BMI is about 32. Ideally, they would be 150 pounds at a healthy BMI of 24. This means they would need to lose 50 pounds. The individual can set the AlterG to provide 25% body weight support. If they do this, get their heart rate up exercising for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, it is likely they will eventually reach their desired weight goal.
Remember to keep checking your weight each week; you’ll need less body weight support as you shed the pounds!
#2: Exercise without knee pain
Many overweight people also have painful joints due to osteoarthritis. We now have evidence that most people can unweight themselves on the AlterG until their knees feel comfortable. The research from Dr. Jeff Leiter’s clinic in Canada has shown that on average, a person with moderate knee osteoarthritis would need to unweight themselves by about 12% to get knee pain relief. That means that a person can use the AlterG to find out the percentage of weight they need to lose in order to reduce their knee pain.
Get on the machine at nearly full body weight and a comfortable walking speed. Use the AlterG to increase body weight support in 1% increments. Take a few seconds at each level of support and pay attention to how your knees feel. Eventually you’ll get to the point where you feel comfortable exercising. The cool part here is that the machine has just helped you figure out how much weight you need to lose in order to feel better off the machine! That’s your target body weight. Use the machine three times per week, 30 minutes each session and exercise at your pain-free level of body weight support at 60% to 70% of your heart rate maximum. Work your weight down over time to your target weight and you’ll probably feel incredibly better.
Many facilities with an AlterG use it to help facilitate a weight loss plan for overweight patients. Robert Porche, Physical Therapist and co-owner of OrthoPTic Rehab Clinic of Metarie, is a member of the AlterG family who uses the Anti-Gravity Treadmill™ to help his overweight patients lose weight. Porche has AlterG shorts in a 4XL for these patients. Reducing their body weight 30-50% allows them to walk for extended periods of time relatively pain free. He says they are typically surprised, and are able to walk for a lot longer than they have been able to in years. “It gets them walking and motivates them to stay with their nutrition regimen and it keeps them exercising.”