


Ciência do Exercício Aquático
Aquatic Exercise Science
Hello Aqualovers, starting with the September edition, we will no longer publish content in Portuguese. This was a difficult decision, but a necessary one, as I pursue new projects that are about to be launched. This month, 12 additional studies have been catalogued, bringing our total to 220 publications. Several of these studies present particularly noteworthy findings. Sixty percent of the newly added articles are review papers, including one narrative and five systematic reviews. The narrative review synthesizes four decades of research on aquatic interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The systematic reviews examined: (1) the characteristics and effects of aquatic interventions on the motor and social skills of children with ASD; (2) the effects of aquatic exercise following knee arthroplasty; (3) the effects of the Halliwick Concept and aquatic exercise on balance, strength, and functional outcomes in children and adults with functional limitations; (4) aquatic exercise interventions for adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain, depressive symptoms, and sleep disorders; and (5) the effectiveness of aquatic physical therapy and swimming in improving clinical and functional outcomes among individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. Three randomized controlled trials were also published. The first investigated the effects of aquatic training on muscle strength, functional mobility, and quality of life in adults with Myotonic dystrophy type 1. The second compared the effects of the Bad Ragaz Ring Method and the Halliwick Concept on muscle thickness, strength, and balance in children with spastic cerebral palsy. The third compared aquatic and land-based exercise programs in terms of their effects on pain, functional performance, and proprioception in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. In addition, three non-randomized controlled trials were included.
List of articles on Aquatic Physical Therapy published
in the month of September (2026) in the Databases
| Nome do Artigo Name of the article | Link | Fonte Source | Tipo de Estudo Type of Study | País do Autor Correspondente Corresponding Author’s Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | From sensory regulation to participation: A clinical reasoning framework for aquatic therapy in children with autism spectrum disorder | Access the article | Children. 2026;13:1327 | NR | Spain |
| 2 | Aquatic training improves muscle strength and functional mobility in adults with myotonic dystrophy type 1: a pilot randomized trial | Access the article | Neuromuscul Disord. 2026;65:106485 | RCT | Canada |
| 3 | The role of hydrotherapy in enhancing recovery after knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials | Access the article | Healthcare (Basel). 2026;14(13):2005 | SR | Egypt |
| 4 | Bad Ragaz Ring method versus Halliwick method in verbally cooperative children with spastic cerebral palsy (GMFCS Levels I-II): A pilot comparison study | Access the article | J Clin Med. 2026;15(17):6632 | RCT | South Korea |
| 5 | Effects of aquatic exercise on balance, motor function and neuromuscular performance in children and young adults with disabilities: A systematic review | Access the article | Healthcare (Basel). 2026;14(15):2256 | SR | Spain |
| 6 | Fall-related physical function, executive function, and myokine responses in older women with obesity participating in a 16-week combined aquatic exercise program: A prospective observational study | Access the article | Medicina (Kaunas). 2026;62(9):1667 | NRCT | South Korea |
| 7 | Active aquatic exercise for depressive symptoms and sleep outcomes in adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis | Access the article | Front Psychiatry. 2026 (Epub ahead of print) | SR | China |
| 8 | Effects of aquatic balance-strength training on direction specific changes in center of pressure velocity and displacement amplitude in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis | Access the article | J Sport Biomech. 2026;12(2):338-356 | NRCT | Iran |
| 9 | Aquatic interventions to improve motor and social functioning in children with ASD: A systematic review | Access the article | Rev J Autism Dev Disord. 2026;13(3):751-771 | SR | Netherlands |
| 10 | Effectiveness of a 6-month land-based and water-based exercise intervention on body composition and physical fitness in women with fibromyalgia: The Al-Ándalus quasi-experimental study | Access the article | Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2026;107(9):2397-2407 | NRCT | Spain |
| 11 | Aquatic exercise and therapeutic swimming for musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review of functional outcomes and quality of life | Access the article | J Soc Chang. 2026;1(2):354-371 | SR | Indonesia |
| 12 | Effects of aquatic‐based vs land‐based closed kinetic chain exercises on pain, functional performance, knee proprioception, muscle strength, and kinesiophobia in women aged 40-70 years with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial | Access the article | Health Sci Rep. 2026; 9:e73032 | RCT | Iran |
NR = Narrative Review; RCT = Randomized Controlled Trial; SR = Systematic Review; and NRCT = Non-Randomized Controlled Trial.

