Underwater treadmill

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.

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.

Technical specifications