If you haven't tried gravity equipment, you are missing out on a potentially interesting addition to your workout program. Gravity equipment offers a full body low impact approach to working out and can add a new element to training.
The most popular gravity equipment is made by efi Sports Medicine - they call their system the GTS, or Gravity Training System (GTS). The GTS uses specially designed equipment to offer adjustable, incline resistance training on a freely-moving glide board. It offers a workout that increases strength and flexibility in a low-intensity cardiovascular way.
The GTS was originally developed in 1974, and is based on extensive work in sports training, physical therapy, and commercial and home and club fitness.
This type of workout is effective for anyone, no matter their age, workout experience, or fitness level, and works to develop functional fitness through all ranges of motion.
These are very natural exercises that recreate, within the context of the exercise environment, real life movements in real life positions - these help to prepare you for the day-to-day activities of daily living, making it easier to perform basic everyday tasks like climbing stairs or carrying groceries.
Because the GTS uses adjustable, incline resistance training on a freely-moving glide board you use your body weight against the pull of gravity to efficiently, effectively, and simultaneously work the entire body.
You can pull a specific percentage of your body weight, thus varying the resistance level, and the movements are natural, using multiple muscle groups at the same time and allowing them to move through their own planes of motion.
Exercises are designed to work and strengthen upper and lower body muscles and core stabilizers for a quick, effective, full body workout. A sessions typically lasts 45 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down, and is performed under the supervision of a certified GTS instructor.
Instructors are licensed physical therapists and certified personal trainers, and can work with you in a variety of settings:
- Private and Semi-Private Personal Training
- Home School Physical Education Class
- Youth Fit Sessions
- Senior Fit Sessions
This is a fully integrated approach to working out, and is ideal for those who like a structured approach, and enjoy a clear, quick supervised type of workout. It has been described as a cross between Pilates and weight training, and is used extensively in rehab - it allows functional, partial-weight bearing exercise early in the rehab process.
It is also useful for athletes, because it emphasizes natural movement patterns, teaching clients to move objects, including their own body, through space easily and quickly. It can thus provide a foundation for sport specific training, which can ultimately improve overall performance, proprioception and agility.
Efi have established a deserved reputation for the design and manufacture of functional exercise equipment for conditioning and rehabilitation, and the GTS provides an interesting approach to training for those looking for an integrated, low impact workout.
