Have you ever watched a gymnast spin and flip flawlessly in the air and land firmly on their feet and wondered… “How do they do that?” How do they know exactly where they are in space and move their body accordingly. Or have you ever wondered why some people can dance, and others just can’t despite looking like they are trying REALLY hard?
One thing that comes into play in both of these situations is something called Proprioception.
What is proprioception?
Proprioception or Kinesthesia as its also called, is the sense of self-movement and body position. It directly influences balance, agility and coordination. It can detect things such as position of limbs and trunk, sense of effort and sense of force. It is often referred to as the 6th sense which makes sense as you could probably still walk with ear plugs in and your eyes closed.
How does our body and brain work together to understand where we are in space?
Proprioception is mediated by mechanoreceptors located in muscles, tendons and joints called Proprioceptors. They (mechanoreceptors) send a message through the spinal cord (via motor neurons) up to the brain and tell the brain what’s happening elsewhere in the body. For example, the message might be joint position, or how stretched a muscle is, or what kind of force is being put on a muscle or joint. The brain receives this message and sends a message back to the muscles, tendons or joints (via motor neurons) and tells them how to respond to their current position.
How do I improve my proprioception?
Proprioception can be improved through exercise, sport, play or any movement that is practiced. However, proprioception can also be affected by an injury to a joint or a muscle. It is very important to follow a proper rehabilitation program following an injury. As an example, if someone suffers a sprained ankle, they should be doing exercises such as single leg balancing and eventually, foot work drills to not only add stability through strength, but to also increase proprioception that may have been lost due to the injury.
At Revamp we have both physiotherapists and active rehab specialists that can design a proper rehabilitation program to increase proprioception to allow better balance and agility or improve it following an injury, so that you don’t miss a step. 😉