High-tech treadmill steps up Lakers’ rehab

If it looks like something that was not designed for this planet, that’s because it wasn’t.

The anti-gravity treadmill that Laker players Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza have used during their rehab from lower-body injuries is derived from NASA technology that allows astronauts to maintain their fitness during prolonged flights. The team’s backup center Chris Mihm, who returned to action last month, also used this exotic treadmill during his recovery.

The device looks a little quirky, with the athlete’s lower half of his body encased in something that resembles half of a kid’s inflatable bounce house. But it is also quickly becoming popular among rehabbing athletes.

By strapping their lower bodies into a pressurized enclosure, the athletes reduce the pressure and weight on their legs while they run. Trainers can set the treadmill so an injured player can run at whatever percentage of their body weight they so choose.

The professional’s version is called the G-Trainer Pro, made by Alter-G, and was first used by the Washington Wizards two years ago. Shaquille O’Neal, Yao Ming and Amare Stoudemire, among others, have used it since.

The treadmill is replacing swimming pools and other methods for players recouping from leg injuries. Instead of a player running in a pool, where water lightens their body weight but also alters how fast an athlete can run in place, this new treadmill allows them to retain their natural stride and reduce the weight on their injury.

“Pools are kind of like that old ‘Far Side’ cartoon where the scientist has an equation that says ‘Step 2’, then a miracle happens,” said Jack Irving, vice president of sales and marketing for Alter-G, based in Menlo Park.

One minor thing before a weekend warrior rushes out to buy one: it costs a pretty cool penny.

The anti-gravity treadmill costs about $75,000 and most professional teams rent one. The rental fee runs from $1,800 to $2,400 a month.

The Clippers’ Elton Brand used the treadmill during his recovery from his ruptured Achilles. When he returned to playing in March, the same machine was shipped over to the Lakers practice facility so Bynum, among others, could begin using it.

jonathan.abrams@latimes.com