Safety In Innovative Body Weight Support Treadmill Technology

With the climbing population of older individuals more preventative health modalities will be needed in the coming decades. For these individuals to remain active and physically healthy we believe that finding a way for them to exercise with minimal risk to be beneficial. PURPOSE: To determine the safety of new portable Body Weight Support (BWS) technology using a BWS that can be attached to most standard treadmills and can reduce effective body weight by up to 45 lbs. METHODS: Through a series of two randomized walking tests, one using the BWS system adapted treadmill and one without, measuring the heart rate (HR) and relative oxygen consumption (VO2) of ten subjects to assess the relative levels in the physical load and exertion that walking on a treadmill caused at a walking pace determined by each subject. Measurements using both a 1-10 pain scale and perceived effort using the Borg scale were also collected. RESULTS: Testing suggests that there were no significant differences in walking economy between the two methods used. Anecdotally, subjects were moderately comfortable and enthusiastic about using the BWS. CONCLUSIONS: This new form of BWS system had no adverse effects on subjects and should be considered safe for healthy aging individuals. Suggestions for further study include larger sample sizes and individuals who are less aerobically fit at initial testing. Supported by: Ledford Scholars Program