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How to enhance cognitive fitness with aquatic exercise

This is an excerpt from Aquatic Fitness Professional Manual-8th Edition by Aquatic Exercise Association.

Cognitive Fitness

Cognitive fitness is exercise that positively influences brain health and cognitive function (Haverkamp et al. 2020; Falck et al. 2019; Sanders et al. 2019), both of which are critical to overall health because the brain controls the ability to perform most daily functions. The WHO (2019) has deemed brain health a public health concern, with emphasis on cognitive decline and development of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive decline affects one in nine adults, and risk of developing cognitive disorders increases with age and with cardiovascular disease (WHO 2019).

Various forms of exercise have been shown to improve neural activity, brain blood flow, brain cell growth, neuroplasticity, cognitive function, memory, reasoning ability, and completion of dual tasks and ADLs across the age spectrum (Ballard 2010; Castillo 2013; Katz and Rubin 2014; Kobsar 2021; Light et al. 1996; Ma and Trombly 2004; Napatpittayatorn 2019; Raj et al. 2020; Samson 2007; Shumaker et al. 2006; Singh and Arya 2012; Willis 2006). Moreover, exercise significantly decreases risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (Dominguez et al. 2021; Haegar et al. 2019; Law et al. 2020; Park et al. 2019; Rashid et al. 2020).

Strength training, sport drills, aerobic exercise, yoga, and high-intensity training have been shown to improve brain health (Dominguez et al. 2021; Haegar et al. 2019; Law et al. 2020; Park et al. 2019; Rashid et al. 2020). Although nearly all forms of exercise can positively influence brain health in different ways, exercises that promote novel movements or movement combinations that require greater thought and concentration are ideal for cognitive training (Dominguez et al. 2021; Haegar et al. 2019; Law et al. 2020; Park et al. 2019; Rashid et al. 2020). A new movement pattern requires more brain activity and stimulation, enhancing mental cognitive function (Ballard 2010; Katz and Rubin 2014; Mather 2020). As with other components of fitness, individuals’ capabilities for performing cognitive fitness exercise vary. Movement and exercise history, as well as current cognitive function, primarily determine individual performance.

The aquatic environment is ideal for cognitive fitness training for myriad reasons. Water not only allows individuals who may have challenges with exercise on land to participate effectively, but it also provides a safe place to try new and complex movements without negative ramifications such as falling (Karaçal and Canan 2023; Turner et al. 2018). Additionally, water enhances the effects of cognitive exercise via immersion. When the body is immersed in water, it experiences increased blood flow, new sensory information, and amplified oxygen availability (Becker 2009; Pugh et al. 2015; Jarchow and Mast 1999; Sato et al. 2012). These attributes of immersion augment the benefits of cognitive fitness.

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