BayCare Wellness Center’s AlterG “Anti-Gravity” Treadmill Helps Patients and Athletes Exercise, Recover From Injury

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2015) – The BayCare Wellness Center at St. Anthony’s Outpatient Center at Carillon is bringing advanced care to patients and athletes through the AlterG “anti-gravity” treadmill. AlterG, which uses technology first developed by NASA, applies a lifting force to the body, thereby reducing weight on the lower extremities.

For athletes, AlterG allows them to train longer, minimize stress on the joints, and exercise at a higher level of intensity. For medical patients who are suffering from arthritis, lower extremity fractures, knee replacement surgery, joint problems, neurological and balance disorders, and many other conditions, the benefits are numerous.

“This treadmill is helpful in so many ways. For a bariatric patient who is making a lifestyle change, he or she can walk on the treadmill without the added stress on joints,” said Ian Payne, manager of rehabilitative services at St. Anthony’s Hospital. “Although athletes have been using these treadmills for years, this technology is finally becoming more readily available to everyone. It will help us continue our mission to provide advanced quality care to our community.”

The controls are similar to other treadmills, beginning with the AlterG measuring body weight when the user presses start. By simply pressing the up/down arrows on the control panel, the user can decrease their body weight, with the air chamber inflating around their lower body so the air pressure literally “floats” them off the treadmill to the body weight setting they selected.

The treadmill helps patients and athletes recover from injury while continuing training and exercise. BayCare’s personal trainers at Carillon also can use AlterG with their clients to maximize the workout.

The AlterG also is open to the public through the purchase of 10 30-minute sessions for $100. For more information about AlterG or to schedule a session, please call (727) 502-4444.

About St. Anthony’s Hospital
St. Anthony’s Hospital is a 393-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and was the first faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. St. Anthony’s has received the 2014 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement award.  St. Anthony’s Susan Sheppard McGillicuddy Breast Center has received accreditation from both the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and the American College of Radiology. For more information on St. Anthony’s, call (727) 953-6993.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 13 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.

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