Proprioception is basically how your brain “thinks” your body looks like and how it moves in space. This representation of your body is like an internal GPS that is created using a lot of data, including information the brain gets from our sensory receptors when we move. The brain uses it every time you move so that you do so as accurately as possible without necessarily having to look at your body. So basically, the more we move in different directions and positions, the better our proprioception becomes. For example, if you are right-handed, the map your brain has of your right hand is really detailed because you use it all the time in different situations. However, the map of your left hand, might be a little less fine-tuned which is why you may not have as much dexterity with it.
This homunculus is an example of what most people’s sensory map looks like:
Why is it so important?
You become a better mover
The better your map, the better your brain can decide and predict how you will move. Typically, professional dancers, martial artists, gymnasts and other such high performance athletes have great body maps. On the other side of the spectrum, someone with compromised proprioception (neurological accident, use of alcohol, etc) might not move with as much ease or accuracy. The average person might not aspire to being an athlete but we don’t want to have poor posture and feel like our body is older than it is, so training proprioception is key.
Less injuries
If you’ve a got poor proprioception, you might be a little clumsy, not as quick to react and as a result be more prone to injury. In fact, many athletes train their overall proprioception in order to reduce their chances of injury.
It is related to chronic pain
Many studies such as this one have shown that there is a strong link between chronic pain and having a distorted body map. In fact, chronic pain sufferers can benefit from proprioception training.
How do you improve it?
I spoke to Dubai-based movement and neuropilates expert Heba Abdel Gawad, founder of .body//HACK.co (also a former Olympic athlete), who has a lot of experience working with athletes and chronic pain sufferers to help enhance their proprioception. Here are some of the tips she shared:
- Move as much as possible in novel ways
You are how you move. Try to balance your proprioception so that your map becomes as accurate a representation of your body as possible. For example, if you are right handed, try to do things with your left hand and leg more often. If you like doing a sport that tends to have a repetitive motion, the active body parts will have better proprioception but not the rest of your body. When you move, make sure you are not just doing the same movements over and over again. Introduce novelty into your workouts. Change up the angles, the positions, the load or even the environment. And if you love a sport that is very “repetitive” like running or spinning, try incorporating other workouts as well to further develop your body awareness. Workouts like yoga, dance, martial arts, the Feldenkrais method, Pilates, the Tracy Anderson method and Parkour are examples of fitness methods and sports that are great for full body proprioception because they workout a large number of joints in the body. Also using props like a balance board can further stimulate your receptors and lead to better proprioception. - Focus
The saying “where your mind goes, energy flows” comes to mind. Pay attention to your movement – whether you are trying to correct your golf swing or doing a yoga pose, focus on things like where you are putting your weight, the positioning, the rhythm, how balanced you feel, etc. The more you bring attention to these details, the more your brain gets data on your body’s movement. - Use a mirror
I love using mirrors to see how I am moving. When I teach neuropilates and a student struggles with a move, I ask them to look in the mirror at what they are doing – in most cases, they can correct their form almost immediately. Video taping yourself is also a great technique because it makes you realize what your gait and posture are like and what you need to correct. Again, this is sending your brain a lot of information that will improve your proprioception. - Do what it takes to heal your injuries
In my experience, past injuries is a common reason for people to shy away from sports, so please, if you get injured, invest the time and effort needed to heal. Proprioception takes a hit when you get injured because your “danger” signals are louder than your proprioceptive ones. This in turn makes you use your injured body parts less, which reduces the nervous signaling for that area, which further decreases your proprioception…then comes chronic pain…you get the point. If you have an injury, let it properly heal and rehabilitate yourself slowly but surely.
