Underwater treadmill
Application
Underwater treadmills, often known as pool treadmills, are pivotal in addressing the specific needs of patients undergoing water-based rehabilitation. For many patients, pain relief and improved joint mobility are primary concerns, and these treadmills offer a solution. The buoyancy of the water significantly reduces the impact on joints, alleviating pain and facilitating easier movement for those with injuries or mobility challenges. This gentle approach ensures that patients can exercise without exacerbating their conditions, making it an ideal choice for pain management and recovery. These treadmills, with their conveyor belts submerged in a pool, allow patients to walk or run, harnessing the water’s natural resistance. This setup not only supports a natural gait but also promotes joint flexibility, a crucial aspect of rehabilitation for many. The therapeutic ambiance of water immersion further aids in relaxation, helping to alleviate pain and stress, which can often hinder recovery. Adjustable speed and resistance settings mean that each session can be precisely tailored to a patient’s individual needs and comfort levels. This patient-centric approach ensures that everyone, from post-operative individuals to those with chronic joint issues, can find relief and regain mobility. Pool treadmills are especially beneficial for those with orthopedic and neurologic conditions, serving as an invaluable tool in their recovery journey. Beyond just rehabilitation, these treadmills also provide a means for patients to regain confidence in their movement, empowering them to lead a more active and pain-free life.Product information
The underwater treadmill, we believe, is the next step in active rehabilitation. Because of the water’s buoyancy, resistance, and hydrostatic pressure, the patient can begin underwater walking exercises almost immediately. Our EWAC movable floors can accommodate an integrated underwater treadmill while meeting the highest standards for usability, adjustability, and operational stability. When mobility is critical or you do not have access to one of our floors, we provide a drop-in treadmill. For pools that do not have a movable floor, our drop-in lifting system allows you to change depth while running to provide the best exercise environment.Knowledge about underwater treadmill
Exercising on an underwater treadmill provides an excellent combination of weight bearing reduction and walking exercises to mobilize otherwise stiff or injured joints. Aquatic treadmills are the pinnacle of underwater exercise equipment and can be used to treat obesity with minimal impact. Its strict walking rhythm has added value in neurology. We have the most extensive collection of hydrotherapy publications.Experience
For over 25 years, EWAC Medical has designed and built movable swimming pool floors and has completed over 1.000 projects worldwide. We are constantly striving for improvement and innovation. Despite the fact that aquatic treadmills are a relatively new development, experience with these products is rapidly growing. Because underwater treadmills can be integrated into any of the current EWAC Medical products, our offering is extremely competitive. That is why EWAC Medical is world market leader in hydrotherapy.
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Application
Underwater treadmills, or pool treadmills, are a key modality in modern water-based exercise and recovery programs. By combining buoyancy with controlled, repetitive walking, they help reduce joint loading and discomfort while supporting gradual movement progression. This makes them particularly suitable for people with orthopedic and neurological conditions, or those with chronic joint problems who struggle to exercise on land.
In the supportive environment of warm water, patients can safely practice their walking pattern, improve joint mobility and build strength without aggravating their symptoms. Adjustable speed and water depth make it possible to tailor each session to the individual, so that both early‑stage rehabilitation and later, more intensive training can be performed in the same system.
Infographic
Product
The underwater treadmill is a next step in active and safe recovery-focused training. Using water’s buoyancy, resistance and hydrostatic pressure, users can begin walking exercises earlier, with reduced joint loading and greater comfort.
Our EWAC movable floors can be fitted with a fully integrated underwater treadmill that meets high standards for usability, adjustability and operational stability. Water depth is precisely adjustable, allowing a controlled progression from partial to near full weight bearing.
For pools without a movable floor, we offer a standalone drop‑in underwater treadmill that can be placed directly on the pool floor, transforming an existing pool into an effective hydrotherapy facility. A separate drop‑in underwater treadmill lifting system lets clinicians raise and lower the treadmill during training, fine‑tuning exercise depth, loading and accessibility without structural pool changes.
Knowledge
An underwater treadmill combines reduced weight bearing with controlled walking, so stiff or previously injured joints can move with minimal impact. Growing evidence in aquatic therapy highlights benefits for joint mobility, strength and cardiovascular fitness while lowering joint load.
Suitable applications
Underwater treadmills are especially suitable for:
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Orthopedic recovery after injury or surgery, supporting earlier and more comfortable gait training.
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Neurological gait and balance training, in a safe and controlled environment.
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Metabolic and weight-management training, offering low-impact but intensive exercise for people with obesity or limited load tolerance.
Experience
For over 25 years, EWAC Medical has designed and built movable swimming pool floors and has completed over 1.000 projects worldwide. We are constantly striving for improvement and innovation. Despite the fact that aquatic treadmills are a relatively new development, experience with these products is rapidly growing. Because underwater treadmills can be integrated into any of the current EWAC Medical products, our offering is extremely competitive. That is why EWAC Medical is world market leader in hydrotherapy.
Underwater treadmill functionality
Exercising on an underwater treadmill combines the beneficial effects of water with stationary walking exercises. An underwater treadmill transforms the pool into a virtually infinite pool, eliminating the need for the patient to turn at the end. Water has numerous beneficial effects on the rehabilitation process. The buoyancy reduces weight bearing in the legs, making it easier for an injured patient to exercise. At the same time, the warm water makes the ligaments more elastic, increasing range of motion. Additionally, submersion in water reduces pain sensation. All of these benefits combine to make the underwater treadmill an excellent piece of exercise equipment that can be extremely beneficial for obesity treatment, sports endurance training, and general joint rehabilitation.
The underwater treadmill’s strict rhythm can be very beneficial in treating neurological patients. By incorporating an underwater treadmill into a movable swimming pool floor, the user can tailor the loading on the patient’s lower extremities to the stage of rehabilitation. Walking exercises at various body loads are possible with a fully integrated underwater treadmill. The parallel bars can be removed, freeing up the entire area of the movable swimming pool floor for other hydrotherapy methods. The underwater treadmill can be installed in any new pool floor, but it is also ideal for existing EWAC Medical movable swimming pool floors. EWAC Medical not only provides underwater treadmills, but also actively participates in the acquisition and dissemination of hydrotherapy knowledge. In addition, we are actively involved in the development of new underwater exercise equipment for rehabilitation purposes. This page contains more detailed information about all of the factors that must be considered when using an underwater treadmill.
The proven value of exercising on an underwater treadmill
Exercising on an EWAC Medical underwater treadmill offers a great number of advantages.
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Overview of our options (see our product configurator)
- Underwater camera — This special underwater camera enables the therapist to track the movements of the patients, and if necessary record the movements for further analysis. By comparing images from multiple sessions one can get a clear picture of the progress made by the patient.
- Counter current unit or Jetstream — Countercurrent unit or jetstream. A jetstream offers exercise resistance to the patient moving against the flow. A wall nozzle produces a strong water jet which is aimed at the patient, and depending of the required exercise load, can be softened with air.
- Underwater lighting — Underwater lighting is highly recommended to improve the sight through, for example, an underwater window. The lighting can be either delivered in monochrome or in colours.
- Observation windows — Observation windows can be placed in regular pools as well as modular pools. Observation windows enable the therapist to supervise the executions of the patient optimally.
Two types of underwater treadmills
EWAC Medical supplies two different underwater treadmills:
Integrated underwater treadmill in an adjustable pool floor
The built-in underwater treadmill is flush with the adjustable pool floor. The patient’s weight bearing can be adjusted by lowering the adjustable floor. The combination of an underwater treadmill and an adjustable floor provides an excellent exercise environment for children and adults at any stage of rehabilitation. When the treadmill is not in use, removing the parallel bars allows the entire exercise pool to be used for other underwater exercises. The underwater treadmill can be installed in any new adjustable pool floor, but it also works well in existing EWAC Medical movable floors.
Drop-in underwater treadmill
The drop-in underwater treadmill is an excellent piece of exercise equipment for existing pools with a fixed depth. The freestanding underwater treadmill can be placed in any position on the pool’s bottom. The underwater treadmill converts the pool into a multi-purpose, low-impact exercise environment. To make room for other underwater exercises, the underwater treadmill can be completely removed from the pool. It can be used in virtually any existing pool situation and works plug and play. Both underwater treadmills meet the demands set in the ISO-norm 13485.
| Drop-in underwater treadmill |
| Intergrated underwater treadmill |