If most of your patients can bear some weight and you want them walking sooner after surgery or injury, an anti-gravity treadmill is usually the better fit. If your caseload is neuro-heavy, includes people who can't yet stand on their own, or needs practice at getting out of a chair, turning and climbing stairs, a body weight support harness gives you more to work with. Plenty of clinics end up with both, because the two solve different problems.
Here's how the main approaches compare, and what to work out before you ask for a quote.
Three ways to take weight off a patient
All of these systems reduce the load through the legs, so a patient can practise walking earlier, or for longer, than they could at full body weight. They do it in different ways, and that decides who you can treat with them.
Anti-gravity treadmill (AlterG)
An AlterG uses differential air pressure. The patient wears neoprene shorts that zip into a sealed chamber around the lower body, and the air pressure inside lifts them. The AlterG NEO, NEO+ and PRO all unweight up to 80% of body weight in 1% increments, so someone can start walking at 20% of their weight and step back up gradually. The NEO+ and PRO take users up to 180 kg.
Because the lift is spread evenly around the hips and legs, patients don't feel hoisted from above. That suits orthopaedic and sports rehab: post-op knees and hips, and runners coming back from injury.
The catch is that the patient has to step into the chamber and walk on a moving belt. It isn't designed for someone who needs hands-on help to stand.
Body weight support harness, over a treadmill or the floor (LiteGait)
A LiteGait is a mobile frame with an overhead lift and a harness. You set how much weight the harness carries, then the patient walks on a treadmill or overground across the clinic floor. Support runs all the way from full suspension to full weight bearing, and the harness can take more weight on one side than the other.
The open frame leaves the therapist room to get to the pelvis and legs. That matters when you're facilitating stepping after a stroke or spinal cord injury. The range covers children and adults, from the Walkable LG75 (patients up to 34 kg) to the 500X (up to 225 kg). Pair a frame with the LiteGait GaitKeeper GKS22 treadmill and you have a 56 x 142 cm walking surface with forward speeds up to 16 km/h.
Robotic overground support on a ceiling track (ZeroG)
ZeroG, made by Aretech, is a robotic trolley that runs along a track fixed to the ceiling. The patient's harness clips to the robot, which follows them as they walk, turn and take on stairs. Unloading stays constant through vertical movement. Set it to 20% and the patient feels 20% lighter whether they're walking or standing up from a chair.
Its fall protection monitors movement 1,000 times a second and catches the patient if they start to go down. So you can let people practise balance and everyday tasks that would otherwise be too risky to attempt. Aretech lists dynamic support from 10 to 200 lb (about 4.5 to 90 kg) and a standard track length of 100 feet (about 30 m).
Match the system to your caseload
| Caseload | Usually the best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Post-op knee and hip, orthopaedic | Anti-gravity treadmill | Even unloading in 1% steps makes graded weight bearing easy to progress |
| Sport and return to running | Anti-gravity treadmill | NEO+ reaches 19 km/h, with incline up to 15% |
| Stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury with limited standing | Body weight support harness | Hands-on access, starts from full suspension, works on a treadmill or overground |
| Paediatrics | LiteGait junior models or ZeroG | LiteGait frames start at 34 kg patients; ZeroG harnesses start at toddler size |
| Balance, falls risk, stairs and sit-to-stand | Robotic overground (ZeroG) | Support holds steady through vertical movement and the robot catches falls |
| Mixed caseload, one shared room | Body weight support harness | Frames roll between rooms and need no fixed install |
If you see a broad mix, start with the patients you currently turn away or progress slowly. That gap is usually the one worth filling first. Our earlier piece on when to use body weight support training covers the clinical side in more depth.
What the evidence says
Treadmill training with or without body weight support is in the Australian stroke guidelines. The Stroke Foundation's Living Clinical Guidelines make a strong recommendation that stroke survivors with difficulty walking get tailored, repetitive walking practice, and they list treadmill training with or without body weight support as one way to deliver it.
The Cochrane review (Mehrholz and colleagues, 2017) found treadmill training, with or without body weight support, didn't make people more likely to walk independently. Walking speed and endurance may improve slightly in the short term, and people who could already walk at the start benefited most.
Research on anti-gravity treadmills is younger. A 2024 systematic review in musculoskeletal conditions found the training feasible, safe and well tolerated. A 2023 review in neurological patients found insufficient evidence that it beats other gait training methods. A 2025 scoping review after knee surgery concluded it might be useful, but that its advantage over usual physiotherapy hasn't been shown yet.
The fair reading is that none of these machines does the therapy for you. What they change is how soon, and how safely, patients can start practising.
Space, installation and service
An anti-gravity treadmill is one large unit. Check doorways, lifts and the route to the treatment room before delivery day. The NEO is designed for smaller spaces.
LiteGait frames sit on castors and most models have a battery-powered lift, so they move between rooms. Inside base widths run from 64 to 86 cm depending on the model, so measure the treadmill you plan to use under it.
ZeroG is as much a building project as an equipment purchase, because the track is fixed to the ceiling. Allow time for structural checks, track layout and any landlord or facility approvals. A site survey is the first step. The ZeroG 3D version can cover a workspace of up to 45 m2.
Rehab Technology ships Australia-wide. Local technicians cover capital cities and larger centres, and remote sites get a planned technician visit for install and servicing.
Budget and funding
AlterG treadmills, LiteGait frames and ZeroG are all quoted individually, because the price depends on model, accessories, treadmill choice and, for ZeroG, track length and installation. You can compare the rehab treadmills range and every body weight support system side by side.
For NDIS participants buying for home, the NDIS treats items between $1,500 and $15,000 as mid-cost assistive technology. Those need written evidence but no quote. Items over $15,000 need a quote and an assessment by a qualified assistive technology assessor. Whether a gait trainer is funded comes down to the participant's plan and goals, so check with their planner or therapist early.
Questions to answer before you get a quote
- What share of your patients can stand and step on their own today?
- Do you need overground, turning and stairs practice, or is treadmill walking enough?
- Which room will it live in, and can the floor or ceiling take it?
- How many sessions a day will it run, and who will run them?
- Is it for one site, or shared across several clinics?
Bring those answers and your caseload mix to the sales team, and they can compare models with you side by side. Talk to a Specialist.
FAQ
Is an anti-gravity treadmill the same as body weight support?
Both reduce the load through the legs, but they do it differently. An anti-gravity treadmill such as the AlterG uses air pressure in a sealed chamber around the lower body. A body weight support system such as LiteGait or ZeroG lifts the patient from above through a harness.
Which is better for stroke rehab?
Australia's stroke guidelines list treadmill training with or without body weight support as one way to deliver walking practice. A harness system lets you start from full suspension and gives the therapist hands-on access, which suits patients who can't yet stand on their own. Patients who can already step independently may do well on an anti-gravity treadmill.
How much body weight can each system take off?
The AlterG NEO, NEO+ and PRO unweight up to 80% of body weight in 1% increments. LiteGait frames run from full suspension to full weight bearing. Aretech lists ZeroG dynamic support from 10 to 200 lb (about 4.5 to 90 kg).
Does ZeroG need a ceiling track?
Yes. ZeroG runs on a track fixed to the ceiling, so every install starts with a site survey to check the structure and plan the track layout.
Can NDIS funding be used for a gait trainer at home?
It depends on the participant's plan and goals. The NDIS treats assistive technology between $1,500 and $15,000 as mid-cost, needing written evidence but no quote. Items over $15,000 need a quote and an assessment by a qualified assistive technology assessor.
