{"id":16558,"date":"2025-07-17T14:30:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T14:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/16558\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T14:30:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T14:30:05","slug":"israeli-startup-aims-to-turn-every-pool-into-a-smart-gym-for-rehab-and-fitness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/16558\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli startup aims to turn every pool into a \u2018smart gym\u2019 for rehab and fitness"},"content":{"rendered":"

In collaboration with Apa Wellness<\/p>\n

When Asaf Ventura was gravely wounded in Jenin by an explosive device during his military service, he couldn\u2019t have foreseen that his long, painful journey of rehabilitation would lead to a groundbreaking invention. Today, Ventura is the VP of Product & Innovation at Apa Wellness, an Israeli startup with a mission to transform ordinary swimming pools into intelligent, versatile gyms for rehabilitation, fitness and wellness.<\/p>\n

Apa\u2019s \u201cwater-native multi-training system\u201d is a family of modular products designed for aquatic exercise and therapy. The system promises to make any pool\u2014private, public, therapeutic or hotel\u2014into a fully equipped training environment that can be adapted for rehabilitation, fitness or even Pilates-inspired movement. <\/p>\n

Asaf Ventura, VP of Product & Innovation at Israeli startup Apa Wellness, speaks with Ynet Global <\/p>\n

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\u201cAfter my injury, the pool was the first place I could put my changed body in without shame,\u201d Ventura told Ynet Global in a studio interview. \u201cI understood something was missing in existing hydrotherapy. That gap became the root of Apa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ventura, an industrial designer, drew on his experience to design a system that is easy to install and remove, using specially developed vacuum caps and buoyancy principles based on Archimedes\u2019 law. This design enables rapid setup in virtually any pool. But Apa\u2019s real innovation lies in integrating sensors, AI and app connectivity to monitor, measure and guide exercise. <\/p>\n

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6 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"Apa<\/a>\"Apa<\/p>\n

Apa Wellness\u2019s modular aquatic training system <\/p>\n

(Photo: Courtesy)<\/p>\n

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6 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"Asaf<\/a>\"Asaf<\/p>\n

Asaf Ventura, VP of Product & Innovation at Israeli startup Apa Wellness <\/p>\n

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6 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"Asaf<\/a>\"Asaf<\/p>\n

Asaf Ventura during his recovery in hospital after being severely wounded by an explosive device in Jenin while serving in the IDF <\/p>\n

(Photo: Courtesy)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just equipment\u2014it\u2019s a new methodology combining technology, movement and water,\u201d Ventura explained.<\/p>\n

Finalizing prototypes <\/p>\n

Yuval Matalon, Apa\u2019s CEO, says the company is finalizing its prototypes and preparing for production. The vision is ambitious: turning more than 30 million pools worldwide\u2014many underutilized\u2014into smart training facilities. \u201cPools are empty much of the time. We\u2019re creating a new category of aquatic sport and therapy,\u201d Matalon said. <\/p>\n

He sees Israel as a natural launch market, both for its tech-savvy population and, heartbreakingly, the high number of soldiers in need of rehabilitation due to the ongoing war. \u201cMotivation is one of the hardest parts of rehab. If we can make it engaging and accessible, we can help bring people back to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Osnat Fliess Douer, Apa\u2019s Chief Science Officer and a veteran aquatic therapist with 30 years\u2019 experience, joined the project after seeing an early prototype. \u201cI remember saying, \u2018Eureka! It\u2019s a revolution,\u2019\u201d she said via Zoom.<\/p>\n

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6 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"Apa<\/a>\"Apa<\/p>\n

Apa Wellness Chief Science Officer Dr. Osnat Fliess Douer <\/p>\n

(Photo: Courtesy)<\/p>\n

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6 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"Ventura<\/a>\"Ventura<\/p>\n

Ventura and Matalon demonstrate the company\u2019s aquatic training system during a rehab session <\/p>\n

(Photo: Courtesy)<\/p>\n

\u201cPools can be boring for repetitive therapy. This system is an entire ecosystem. It offers modular add-ons, real-time feedback and even the ability to quantify progress\u2014something we never had before.\u201d According to Dr. Fliess Douer, therapists are eager to get their hands on the product. Patients, she says, love that it doesn\u2019t \u201cfeel\u201d like rehab, describing it instead as fun, empowering and hopeful.<\/p>\n

Apa\u2019s founders see their work as a mission as much as a business. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis platform was born in the water,\u201d Ventura said. \u201cIt brings people together, it gives them freedom, and it changes lives.\u201d As the company prepares to move from R&D to production, APA hopes to export not just equipment but a new philosophy of movement\u2014one that makes healing, fitness and wellbeing accessible to all.<\/p>\n

In collaboration with Apa Wellness<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In collaboration with Apa Wellness When Asaf Ventura was gravely wounded in Jenin by an explosive device during…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16559,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97],"class_list":["post-16558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16558\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}