On Monday 1st December there was an article in the Evening Standard about former England football star Keiron Dyer who had broken his leg in August 2007 and since then has remained more or less out of action. His story is a familiar one, progress in rehabilitation plagued with set backs after complications to the initial injury. Damaged confidence coupled with a decrease in fitness could have potentially been a recipe for disaster and the end of a promising career.
What distinguishes Dyer's story is that he has recently been training with the Alter G 'G-trainer'. Developed off the back of NASA technology, the G-trainer can reduce the impact of your body weight down to 20%. That's the equivalent of walking on the moon. This has allowed Dyer to increase his fitness to a level where previously the impact would have hindered any progression. Slowly body weight can be increased so that his body can adapt to the impact, not only getting him back to fitness but potentially enhancing his sporting performance.
Balance Performance Physiotherapy in London have recently acquired one, and I've been lucky enough to have a play around. I'm still getting my head around the potential for the G-trainer as a conditioning tool. The implications are quite staggering, from Triatheltes, Ultra-marathon runners, Football, Rugby to Basket Ball, there isn't a sport that couldn't benefit from it (ok, maybe Darts - but that's a whole new blog entry). Then there is the obvious benefits for rehabilitation, or people with medical conditions.
Its a brave investment for London's leading Sports Physiotherapy Clinic and one that should reap great rewards. I'll be using the Alter G's G-trainer as part of my training for the Paris Half Marathon in March 2009, so I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile check out the clip below to find out what exactly it is, and watch me defy gravity.
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