The Effects of Aquatic Activities on Health and Mobility

A special issue of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Exercise for Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1437

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
2. Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Metropolitan College, Thessaloniki Campus, 54624 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: nutrition; dietetics; swimming; swimming coaching; nutrition in autoimmune diseases; activities in autoimmune diseases
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquatic-based activities and sports influence quality of life, physiological responses, coordination, and kinematic indices across populations. Independent of the participants' level, the main goal is to utilize exercise as a lifelong habit.

The beneficial properties of aquatic activities have been shown to positively affect objective physiological indices such as heart rate, oxygen consumption, and more. In addition, these benefits extend to subjective measures, including perceived exertion and self-reported assessments of quality of life and functionality. Despite this, participants tend to engage in these activities primarily during the summer months, even though year-round participation is necessary to fully realize their potential benefits.

Through this Special Issue, I invite coaches, exercise professionals, and scientists to submit valuable research on the positive effects of various water-based activities, such as swimming, aqua aerobics, aqua Pilates, artistic swimming, finswimming, water polo, open water swimming, and more, on a wide range of physiological indices. Submissions that address participants across all levels, from regional to elite, are welcome.

Dr. Konstantinos Papadimitriou
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • swimming
  • water polo
  • artistic swimming
  • open water
  • aqua yoga
  • aqua pilates
  • aqua aerobic
  • finswimming

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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25 pages, 729 KB  
Perspective
Aquaticity as a Latent Dimension of Aquatic Performance: Conceptual Framework and Application to Breath-Hold Diving
by Ivan Drviš, Dario Vrdoljak, Nikola Foretić and Željko Dujić
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2026, 11(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11010120 - 16 Mar 2026
Viewed by 170
Abstract
Sports performance in aquatic environments is governed by biomechanical, physiological, neuromuscular and perceptual–mental constraints that differ fundamentally from those encountered on land. As a result, athletes with comparable general physiological or motor capacities may achieve markedly different performance outcomes in aquatic sports. Within [...] Read more.
Sports performance in aquatic environments is governed by biomechanical, physiological, neuromuscular and perceptual–mental constraints that differ fundamentally from those encountered on land. As a result, athletes with comparable general physiological or motor capacities may achieve markedly different performance outcomes in aquatic sports. Within functional kinesiology and sport science, aquatic performance is still frequently interpreted through isolated physiological, biomechanical, or technical variables, which limits both explanatory depth and applied relevance. This Perspective article introduces aquaticity as an integrated latent construct representing a multidimensional determinant of sports performance specific to the aquatic environment. Aquaticity is conceptualized as a functional framework that modulates how general physiological and motor capacities are expressed under aquatic constraints, integrating key domains of exercise physiology, sport biomechanics, neuromuscular control, energetic regulation, and perceptual–mental stability. The relative contribution of these domains is considered discipline-specific and dependent on task and environmental demands. Breath-hold diving is presented as a particularly suitable model for examining aquaticity, as apnea and hypoxic–hypercapnic stress amplify interactions between physiological regulation, neuromuscular control, and biomechanical efficiency. Training and diagnostic tasks performed in real aquatic settings are interpreted as manifest indicators of aquaticity, enabling ecologically valid athlete monitoring and performance assessment. Within this framework, energetic aquaticity is highlighted as a central functional sub-construct linking metabolic regulation, movement efficiency, and neural control during performance under respiratory constraints. The proposed conceptual framework has important implications for functional kinesiology, sport biomechanics, exercise physiology, and applied athlete monitoring in aquatic sports. Aquaticity is advanced not merely as a descriptive concept, but as a unifying framework that can guide future experimental research, discipline-specific diagnostics, individualized training design, and safety-oriented performance assessment in aquatic environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Aquatic Activities on Health and Mobility)
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