Date of Award:
8-2026
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling
Committee Chair(s)
Talin Louder
Committee
Talin Louder
Committee
Chris Dakin
Committee
Brennan Thompson
Committee
Daivd Bolton
Committee
Nuno Oliveira
Abstract
For individuals living with neurological conditions or limited mobility, exercise and rehabilitation programs can be challenging due to cost, transportation, and limited access to specialized facilities. These barriers raised a simple question: could something as accessible as sitting in warm water provide meaningful benefits for sensorimotor function? This question served as the foundation for the research presented in this dissertation.
Research has shown that sitting in warm water, even without exercise, can increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain. This evidence suggests that water immersion may create conditions that support brain function. However, it remained unclear whether these changes translate into better physical performance. To address this question, this dissertation examined the immediate effects of resting in warm water (32°C) on muscle strength and eye-hand coordination. Two studies were conducted that evaluated leg strength, hand-grip strength, and visuomotor performance.
The findings revealed that most measures of performance were not substantially affected by water immersion. In the visuomotor tasks, participants' responses became slightly slower over time regardless of whether they were in water or on land. Similarly, leg strength declined modestly over the course of testing, with comparable changes observed across conditions. In contrast, hand-grip strength increased slightly following water immersion, particularly in the dominant hand, and this improvement was observed after participants exited the water.
Overall, these findings suggest that resting in warm water does not produce broad improvements in physical performance in healthy young adults. However, the observed improvement in hand-grip strength indicates that water immersion may have selective effects on certain motor functions. Because passive water immersion is safe, low-impact, and accessible, it may represent a practical strategy worthy of further investigation. Future research should determine whether repeated exposure to warm water immersion can benefit individuals with neurological disorders, age-related declines in function, or mobility limitations.
Recommended Citation
Park, Joonsun, "Can Passive Water Immersion Shape Force Production Capacity and Visuomotor Skills? Exploring its Potential Influence Based on Cerebral Blood Flow Evidence" (2026). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present. 913.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd2023/913
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