RUN EARLIER.
HEAL SMARTER.
The Anti-Gravity Treadmill lets you walk and run with reduced body weight — earlier, safer, and without losing your natural movement.
At SportsFit Health & Rehab in Five Dock, we use the BTL R-Force Anti-Gravity Treadmill — one of the most advanced partial body-weight support systems available in clinical practice. Whether you're recovering from surgery, a stress fracture, or a tendon injury, this changes what's possible in your rehab.
THE ANTI-GRAVITY TREADMILL
A rehabilitation tool that lets you walk and run with a fraction of your normal body weight — so you can move earlier, train harder, and heal smarter.
The Anti-Gravity Treadmill works by enclosing your lower body in an air-pressurised chamber. As pressure builds, it lifts a proportion of your body weight — reducing the load through your joints, bones, and soft tissues while you walk or run. You move naturally. You just weigh less.
This means someone recovering from ACL surgery can start running at Week 8–10 instead of Week 16. A runner with a tibial stress fracture can maintain their fitness during the healing phase instead of losing it entirely. A patient with knee OA can walk for 30 minutes pain-free when 10 minutes on the ground is their limit.
We use the BTL R-Force — a next-generation system with more advanced gait feedback and clinical control than the AlterG. The R-Force provides precise body-weight unloading with real-time monitoring, making it equally effective for early-stage post-surgical rehab and high-performance return-to-run programs.
KEY EFFECTS OF ANTI-GRAVITY RUNNING
Reducing body weight during running changes the physics of movement in ways that matter clinically.
Less force through the ground means less force transmitted up through your ankle, knee, hip, and spine — directly reducing pain and protecting healing tissue.
Particularly significant for knee and ankle loading — critical in post-surgical recovery, bone stress injuries, and joint pain conditions where load is the limiting factor.
Unlike pool running or cycling, the Anti-Gravity Treadmill preserves your natural running mechanics — so you're training the movement patterns you'll need when you return to ground running.
Running on an Anti-Gravity Treadmill still elevates heart rate and maintains aerobic capacity — so you don't lose your fitness while your injury heals.
Body-weight support can be dialled from high to low in precise increments — allowing a structured, controlled transition back to full ground running over weeks, not months of guesswork.
The result of all the above — patients return to running weeks earlier than traditional rehab timelines allow. Less time off. Better outcomes. More confidence.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The Anti-Gravity Treadmill is used for a wide range of conditions where load management during running and walking is critical to recovery.
Return to running earlier and more safely after ACL surgery. Protocol-based progression from Week 8 through to full ground running.
→ See ProtocolMaintain running fitness during bone healing. Graduated return to full loading without risking re-fracture.
→ See ProtocolReintroduce running load gradually without provoking tendon flare-ups. Bridge the gap between rehab and return to running.
→ See ProtocolWalk and jog with significantly less joint compression. Improve strength, confidence, and tolerance to activity progressively.
→ See ProtocolReduce spinal loading during movement while maintaining natural gait patterns. Return to running after a back flare-up.
→ See ProtocolBook a free call and we'll tell you whether the Anti-Gravity Treadmill is right for your injury before you commit to an appointment.
THE TREADMILL IN ACTION
Real footage from our clinic and from BTL — showing what anti-gravity running looks like in practice.
Side view of running mechanics in the anti-gravity suit — filmed at SportsFit Five Dock.
A patient's first run after ACL reconstruction — made possible by the Anti-Gravity Treadmill at SportsFit.
An overview of the BTL R-Force system and its clinical applications in rehabilitation.
STRUCTURED PROTOCOLS FOR EVERY CONDITION
Every condition has a specific, phased protocol. This isn't one-size-fits-all — the body-weight support percentage, progression timeline, and return-to-run criteria differ by condition and individual.
Phases from Week 8 through to full ground running. Criteria-based progression tied to quad strength, effusion, and symmetry.
View Protocol →Protection phase through to progressive reload. Healing timelines respected with fitness maintained throughout.
View Protocol →Supported jog introduction through to elastic load reintroduction and transition to ground running.
View Protocol →Supported walking through progressive exposure and ongoing management. Improving tolerance to movement over time.
View Protocol →Spinal load reduction during movement. Structured return to jogging and running after back flare-up.
View Protocol →Book a free call. We'll assess your situation and advise on whether the Anti-Gravity Treadmill is the right tool for your rehab.
Book a Free Call →WHAT RUNNING LOOKS LIKE INSIDE
The anti-gravity suit encases the lower body in a sealed chamber. As air pressure increases, it lifts a proportion of your body weight — allowing natural running mechanics with a fraction of the normal ground reaction force.
The slow-motion footage from our clinic shows exactly how natural the movement pattern is inside the treadmill — heel strike, push-off, flight phase, all preserved. This is what separates anti-gravity running from pool running or cycling as a rehab modality. The movement is specific to running.
This specificity matters for neurological adaptation, muscle activation patterns, and psychological confidence on return to ground running. When you step off the treadmill, your body already knows what running feels like.
BTL R-FORCE ANTI-GRAVITY TREADMILL
The BTL R-Force is the device we use at SportsFit Five Dock. It's a clinical-grade partial body-weight support system — not a gym gadget.
At SportsFit, the Anti-Gravity Treadmill is used as part of a broader physiotherapy program — not as a standalone service. Your physio determines how much body weight to unload, when to progress, and how to transition back to ground running. The device is the tool. The clinical reasoning is what makes it work.
Up to 80% body-weight support — precise control of loading from session to session
Real-time gait feedback — monitor cadence, symmetry, and running mechanics during sessions
Natural movement preservation — maintains gait patterns unlike pool running or cycling
Five Dock, Inner West — available at our Five Dock clinic as part of a physio-led program
PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE
The Anti-Gravity Treadmill is one tool in a comprehensive rehabilitation approach. These sites and services work alongside it.
Dedicated ACL rehabilitation — prehab, post-op rehab, conservative management, and return to sport. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill features prominently in our ACL return-to-run protocols.
Visit sydneyaclphysio.au →Our flagship clinic in Five Dock — physiotherapy, exercise physiology, massage, chiropractic, and more. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill is one of many advanced clinical tools available at SportsFit.
Visit sportsfithealthandrehab.com.au →READY TO RUN EARLIER?
Book a free call with our team. We'll tell you whether the Anti-Gravity Treadmill is right for your injury — before you commit to an appointment.
Book a Free CallNo referral needed · Five Dock, Inner West Sydney · Health fund rebates available