Proprioceptive Exercise

Introduction

Proprioceptive exercises test the balance and coordination of your body. They can help you become more confident in your muscles and be able to carry out tasks without being aware of your actions.

Kinesthesia, another name for proprioception, is the capacity to perceive and freely move one’s body and limbs in one’s immediate surroundings. Both daily life and athletic performance depend on this kinesthetic sensitivity.

Exercises that test and strengthen proprioceptive receptors are known as proprioceptive exercises. When performing both static and dynamic functional tasks, proprioception aids in joint stabilization. Injury risk may rise as a result of diminished proprioception.

Proprioception: What is it?

Your body’s capacity to perceive its motions, positions, and activities is known as proprioception. The major goal is to improve balance and space awareness to prevent damage. It features a tight connection between proprioceptors, soft tissues, and the neurological system.

Exercises that test and strengthen proprioceptive receptors are known as proprioceptive exercises. When performing both static and dynamic functional tasks, proprioception aids in joint stabilization. Injury risk may rise as a result of diminished proprioception. For patients who exhibit signs of diminished proprioception, Physical therapists offer an evaluation and a rehabilitation program that includes proprioception exercises. Immobility or injury can impair proprioception.

Proprioception is sometimes referred to as body awareness. Specialized sensors called proprioceptors are found on nerve terminals in your skin, muscles, tendons, joints, and inner ear. Your brain receives data from these sensors concerning position, force, tension, movement, and changes in the surroundings.

• When hiking on a Dirty road, for instance, you use proprioception to identify minor path deviations like rocks or holes.
• Your body responds to the feedback received by your lower limb proprioceptors by stabilizing your foot and ankle to prevent harm.
• Reduced proprioception can occasionally be caused by aging, neurological disorders, or recent or ongoing injuries. For instance, proprioception may be diminished in diabetics due to problems.
• Intoxication from drugs or alcohol can impair your proprioception and balance. For people with diminished proprioception as a result of illness or injury, a variety of at-home activities can aid with balance, spatial awareness, and general mobility.

In extreme situations, you might need to consult a qualified specialist first.

Types

• Type I: (small) Slow adaptation in both static and dynamic environments, low threshold.
• Type II: (medium) Low threshold, quick to adjust to changing conditions.
• Type III: (big) Slowly adjusts to changing conditions, high threshold.
• Type IV: High threshold pain receptors that convey damage (extremely tiny).

One’s sense of proprioception is thought to be associated with Type II and Type III mechanoreceptors in particular. The following little movie provides a useful summary of proprioception’s complications.

Causes of Proprioception Impairment

An increased risk of injury may arise from poor proprioception at a joint. Currently, the cause of proprioception abnormalities is unclear. Edema (swelling), competing nociceptive signals (pain), or localized tissue damage can all result in a diminished perception of proprioception.

Several factors can influence proprioception, including:

• Temporary impairment resulting from a compromised state (e.g., alcohol consumption).
• Brain injuries; multiple sclerosis (MS); stroke; Parkinson’s disease; Huntington’s disease; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• In addition, there are peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, arthritis, herniated discs, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Following surgery: joint replacement procedures, like knee or hip replacements
• MSK conditions: Ligament injury such as ankle sprains, ACL/PCL injuries, shoulder dislocations and tendinopathies, whiplash injury.

Children’s proprioceptive-seeking behaviors include the following:

• Being aggressive with other children
• Over-petting animals and occasionally causing them harm
• Choosing to stamp instead of walk
• Chewing on pencils or sleeves
• Letting oneself fall heavily to the ground
• Getting up on furniture

Children’s proprioceptive-avoiding behaviors include the following:

• Anxiety when surrounded by others or in congested areas
• Not using the playground equipment
• Being reserved among other kids and not wanting to engage in physical play
• For example, they would overestimate the risk of falling and trips in the small area between the ground and an elevator.
• Avoiding direct physical contact with other individuals

Benefits of Proprioceptive Exercises

• Increased Body Awareness: By strengthening your body’s sense of position and movement, proprioceptive training aids in maintaining good alignment and posture.
• Injury Prevention: People can lower their risk of injury by improving their proprioceptive skills, which enable them to better anticipate and respond to sudden changes in movement. Research indicates that athletes who regularly practice proprioceptive training have a marked reduction in ankle sprains.
• Better Coordination: By improving neuromuscular coordination, these exercises enable more fluid and accurate motions. Better balance and stability are essential for daily tasks as well as sports performance, and they can be achieved by strengthening proprioceptive senses.
• Rehabilitation Support: By retraining their perception of joint position and movement, proprioceptive exercises are commonly employed in rehabilitation programs to aid patients in their recovery from injuries.

Indication

Exercise programs that emphasize proprioception might be beneficial to a lot of people. People may complain of recurring conditions such as knee instability, shoulder pain, and ankle sprains. A program of proprioceptive exercises may be beneficial to you if:

• You frequently get injuries, such as sprains of the ankle, as the tissues and proprioceptive sensors deteriorate.
• Joint swelling may cause problems with proprioceptive feedback.
• Joint pain is important because it can also affect proprioceptive feedback.
• Damage to the ligaments and tendons will result in harm to the proprioceptive receptors.
• Following surgery, proprioceptive receptors will also be harmed because of the trauma and tissue damage that occurred during the procedure.

Everyone can benefit from proprioceptive exercises, including athletes, people who are aged, infected, or even children who are uncomfortable or prone to mistakes.

Since movement depends on proprioceptive information from the joints, muscles, tendons, and skin, a loss of proprioceptive awareness can influence muscle tone regulation, interfere with reflexes, and significantly hinder voluntary movement. Proprioceptive and kinesthetic dysfunction is linked to several neurological and orthopedic diseases, including peripheral sensory neuropathies, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and injuries to muscles, ligaments, and joint capsules.

• It stands to reason that proprioception training would help those who have been impacted, whether by illness, birth defects, or injuries. Regardless of whether you are an athlete or a stroke survivor, there are strategies to enhance proprioception.

• Proprioception awareness varies from person to person. If you know Someone likely to have accidents, their proprioception awareness may not be as developed as it may be. In contrast, a professional athlete has a high degree of proprioception awareness. Even though a person’s proprioception might not be as good as that of a professional athlete, practicing proprioception will improve your daily activities.

Activities to Improve Proprioception

Proprioception training can be accomplished through a variety of exercises. To be sure you are choosing the appropriate exercises to help you achieve your target performance, it is always preferable to consult with a qualified trainer or physical therapist.

Balancing Exercises

• Exercises that test equilibrium and balance are good for developing proprioception. Exercises for balance educate your body and brain how to regulate the posture of a damaged or inadequate joint.

• Using a balance board is a popular example of a balance exercise that can enhance proprioception. Until you have a better understanding of how the muscles are supposed to be used to balance on the board, you might need to start clinging to the wall.

Exercises While Closing the Eyes

• You can learn to trust and inform your muscles to complete standing exercises with your eyes closed as your strength increases. This improves brain-muscle communication, enabling you to carry out tasks correctly even while you’re not physically there.

Strengthening Exercises

• By developing strength, you can help create the connection between muscle fibers with knee strengthening activities including leg presses, squats, and lateral arm movements. The brain starts to comprehend the need for this strength more and more as muscle strength increases.

• Gaining strength enables you to maintain a movement or activity for extended periods with good form and enhances proprioception awareness in both the mind and the body.

Plyometric Movements and Drills

• Kinesthetic awareness can be significantly improved by plyometric activities that involve coordination and movement patterns. Other exercises that aid in establishing the connection between muscles and nerves include crossover walking, running figure-eight patterns, vertical jumps, and change of direction drills.

• The brain is trained to react to specific movements as you instruct the body to carry them out. As a natural connection becomes ingrained in the pattern, it gets easier to complete these exercises without much thought.

What is the impact of autism on proprioception?

Proprioceptive input can be soothing for kids with autism or other conditions where sensory stimulation overwhelms them. Many autistic children actively seek out proprioceptive activities to control how they react to sensory information. Accordingly, proprioceptive-seeking behaviors like stamping, gnawing objects, and general heavy-handedness are likely to be displayed by children with autism.

Self-stimulatory activity, or stimming, is frequently observed in children with autism. This includes proprioceptive awareness-boosting motions like hand flapping.

Why does proprioception matter in fitness and sports?

In all forms of exercise and sports, proprioception is essential. It enables an athlete to sprint and dribble a soccer ball without looking down or considering their every move. Additionally, it enables a volleyball player to spike the ball by knowing its location in the air.

Proprioception gets better the more one practices.

• Let’s say you have never played basketball before. You start by practicing on-the-spot dribbling. After that, you learn how to dribble and walk. In the end, you learn how to run, dribble, and shoot while keeping an eye on the game.

• Proprioceptive training is beneficial even for seasoned athletes. It can help you improve your agility, balance, coordination, and response time—all of which can have a significant impact on how well you perform overall.

Lastly, proprioception training can reduce your chance of injury. An athlete can avoid common injuries like ankle sprains by developing better proprioception in their muscles, tendons, and joints. This will help them adjust to sudden movements or changes in balance. According to research, incorporating proprioception training into your exercise routine may improve your performance and lower your risk of injury.

For older persons, proprioception training is particularly crucial in lowering the risk of falls and the consequences that may follow an accident.

What role does proprioception play in balance?

Keeping one’s center of gravity above a base of support is the definition of balance. It originates from three sensory inputs: proprioception (touch), vision (eyesight), and vestibular system (motion, balance, and spatial orientation).

Your brain receives messages from these systems to organize and combine sensory data. To preserve balance and vision of the surroundings, your brain then sends signals to the muscles involved in movement, such as the arms, legs, trunk, neck, and eyes.

Your body’s balancing system includes proprioception, which informs you where you are in space, how much force is exerted on you (like when you land from a jump), or how much force you’ll need to do anything, like take up a heavy object.

For instance, your body can adjust its center of gravity to balance itself if it detects uneven ground. Proprioceptive training hence enhances your general balance.

Improving proprioception and balance is crucial for lowering the chance of falls and injuries while enhancing athletic performance.

The significance of proprioception

According to the information your nerves provide to the brain, proprioception is your awareness of your location, movement, and force output. The following senses are influenced by your proprioception:

• The tracking and movement of your knee (and any other joint)
• How much force do you need to jump with
• How much strength your arms require to lift something
• When walking over uneven ground, how to adjust your center of gravity

Proprioception is crucial for navigating daily life, as you can imagine. Additionally, it has a significant impact on injury prevention and sports performance. For instance, a study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport revealed that proprioception was highest among elite athletes. In the meantime, proprioceptive training decreased the frequency of ankle sprains, according to a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training.

Now, not everyone has an excellent sense of proprioception. Even worse, it may worsen as a result of injury, aging, and certain illnesses (such as arthritis). For example, tissue injury impairs your nerves’ ability to communicate by causing swelling and conflicting nerve sensations, the most common of which is pain. Proprioception may, however, be developed and enhanced.

Exercises to improve your proprioception

• A progressive rehabilitation program that incorporates proprioceptive exercises will increase in difficulty as proprioception improves. Proprioceptive exercise programs incorporate several concepts and activities, such as:
• Initial evaluation, both subjective and objective
• Outcome measure: to assess your development
• Exercises that are done within the joint’s range of motion as soon as instability is detected
• Activities to increase muscle response time
• Exercises for balance
• Exercises for strengthening
• Just into the range where instability is sensed, functional dynamic exercises
• Self-management techniques at the end of the rehabilitation process

The physical therapists treating patients with proprioceptive impairments have extensive experience. They offer a thorough evaluation and treatment plan that includes proprioceptive exercises to increase joint function and boost your self-esteem.

These ten exercises can help you become more proprioceptive at home. If you have trouble balancing, you might want to have a partner or be next to a wall for support. You can increase the difficulty by adding a wobbleboard or disc as your balance gets better.

One-leg balance test

• Place your hands on your hips and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Raise your right foot a few inches off the ground and shift your weight to your left foot.
• After 30 seconds of standing in this posture, switch sides. Do this two or three times.

Single-leg scissor stand

This one may be familiar to you from our post on knee pain exercises.

• Lay a little towel on the ground that has been wrapped up.
• With your right leg, take a step onto the towel while bending your knee slightly.
• With your left leg, take a step forward, crossing the center line of your body as if your toes were making a circle. Throughout the workout, maintain your weight on your supporting leg.
• Cross the center line of your body and take a step backward with your left leg.
• Always point the right leg or kneecap toward the direction of the right big toe.
• Perform ten repetitions.
• Continue with the opposite side.
• This exercise is excellent for strength and proprioceptive therapy following a knee injury since it targets your knee.

One-leg 3–way kick

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Raise your right foot a couple inches above the ground while standing on your left foot. Return to the starting position after holding for two to three seconds.
• Lift your right leg to the side of your body, then behind you, using the same procedures.
• Repeat two or three times, switching sides.

One legged-catch

Simply pick up a bouncy ball and a partner, then stand on one leg and play catch to complete this exercise.

Even though one-legged catches aren’t particularly taxing, they still need a high level of proprioception. To catch the ball without toppling over, you must quickly adjust your center of gravity and place your arm and hand correctly.

Plank taps

While attempting to maintain your balance, you will use your arms, legs, hips, and core during this workout.

• On a mat, assume a high plank position.
• Throughout, make sure your core is engaged and your spine remains in a neutral position.
• Place your weight on your left arm and touch your left shoulder with your right hand for a brief while.
• Go back to where you were before.
• Continue with the opposite side.
• Perform 5–10 arm reps.

Cone pickups

Tip: To help balance oneself throughout this exercise, use your hamstrings and buttocks in addition to your core.

• Place a cone two feet (approximately 60 cm) in front of you and stand on one foot with your hands on your hips.
• Bend at the hips and reach forward to grasp the cone while maintaining control. Let your left leg extend rearward when you get there.
• Raise yourself back up to the beginning position. To get the cone back to where it was before, repeat the motion.
• Do this three or four times, switching sides.

Reverse lunge

• Stand with both of your legs hip-width apart and place your hands on your hips. Take a big stride back with your right foot and shift your weight to your left foot.
• Lower your right leg until your right knee is at a 90-degree angle and your thigh is perpendicular to the ground, with the ball of your right foot contacting the ground and your heel up. Additionally, bend your left knee to a 90-degree angle.
• To raise your body back to the beginning position, Activate your glutes and push into your heel.
• Do this eight to twelve times.

Bird Dog

• With your knees in line with your hips and your shoulders in line with your hands, begin on all fours. Aim for a neutral posture for your neck and back.
• Keeping your other arm and leg on the floor for support, extend your left arm forward and your right leg back.
• After two to three seconds of holding, switch sides.
• Do this eight to twelve times.

Tree Pose

• Place your hands together in front of your chest and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Raise your right foot off the ground and shift your weight to your left foot.
• Position your right foot on your left inner thigh while bending your right knee outward. Or put it on the inside of your left leg.
• For as long as you can, hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds. After that, switch sides.

Tightrope walk

• On the floor, draw a straight line that is three to six feet (1 to two meters) long. An extended length of rope or string can also be used.
• Stand with both of your legs hip-width apart and place your hands on your hips.
• Put one foot next to the rope or on the line. Then, as though you were walking a tightrope, put your second foot just in front of it.
• Without moving to the side, proceed to the end of the line. Walk back after turning around.
• Do this three or four times.

Banded triplanar toe taps

Try this technique without the loop band if you’re a beginner.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and wrap a loop band around your ankles.
• Lower yourself into a quarter squat by shifting your weight to your left foot.
• Tap your right toe in front of you, to the side, and behind you while using the loop band as resistance. Repeat ten times, then swap sides.

Sumo squat to one leg

• Turn out at a 45-degree angle while keeping your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Lower yourself into a sumo squat by bending your knees and hinging your hips. Maintain a firm core.
• Lift your right leg off the ground to the side by shifting your weight onto your left foot and exploding upward as you do so. For extra challenge, raise your right leg and pulse two or three times.
• Go back to where you were before. Before swapping sides, repeat this 8–12 times.

Which proprioception exercises are best for children?

In this guide, we’ll outline what we think are the top proprioceptive activities for kids. We’ve provided three versions of each of our exercises so you can help your child complete the one that suits them best. These consist of:

• An original version, which is the optimal way to finish the activities.
• A modified version for kids who struggle a little bit with motor skills.
• A condensed version for kids who have trouble copying, imitating, and using more sophisticated motor skills.

Hopping in place

A simple yet powerful workout, hopping in place involves jumping from one foot and landing on the same foot. It works your lower body and enhances your balance and coordination. When you hop, you maintain dynamic balance by jumping from one foot and landing on the same foot.

Jumping jacks

Jumping to an elevated position with the legs spread wide and the hands are going overhead, at times in a clap, followed by a return to a position with the feet together and the arms at the sides is a physical jumping exercise called a jumping jack, also called a star jump and referred to as a side-straddle hop in the US military.

Scissor jumps

With your right leg extended in front of you and your left leg behind, lower yourself into a lunge position, swing your arms forward, and jump up vertically while maintaining your upper body alignment.

While in mid-air, switch your leg position, moving your left leg out front and your right leg behind you. Repeat this movement, alternating sides, for the number of repetitions you want. Scissor jumps are a bodyweight exercise that makes your lower body muscles work harder than a typical vertical jump.

Sideways jump

A plyometric exercise that works all of your muscles with your bodyweight is the lateral jump. To perform lateral jump exercises, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Lower yourself into a quarter-squat position by bending your hips and knees. Execute a forceful vertical leap while moving laterally to your side. For the required number of repetitions, repeat this hop in the opposite direction and keep moving back and forth.

Hop left/right/forwards.

Because it calls for power and balance, hopping is a more difficult talent than jumping. Children’s speed, control, and skill should significantly improve between the ages of five and seven. The ability to retain balance while moving, also known as dynamic balance, is demonstrated by hopping. For kindergarteners and preschoolers who may still be learning to leap, this is a challenging ability.

Sideways hopping

• Place your feet hip-width apart and stand upright with your hands by your sides.
• In a fast, repeating motion, jump with both feet to the right and again to the left.
• Continue until the entire set is finished.

Jumping up and down in place

Jumping up and down in place, sometimes referred to as jumping jacks or hopping in place, is a straightforward but powerful aerobic workout that can increase cardiovascular health, burn calories, and improve balance and coordination.

Two feet jumping across a room forward/backward.

• Transferring weight from one or two feet to two feet is called jumping.
• Leaping forward as far as you can from two feet and landing on two feet is known as “jumping for distance.” In many playground activities, like hopscotch, jumping for distance is crucial. It is also significant in dance and gymnastics.

Jump shapes

Children’s gross and fine motor abilities from their earlier Early Years movement experiences are built upon in the “jump shape create” lesson.
Before learning to sequence basic motions, children will learn to utilize their bodies as creative instruments, creating forms both still and while they are jumping.

Front/back jumping

In this workout, you jump backwards over an obstacle or in situ. It enhances balance, coordination, and explosive force.

Arm leg stretch

The muscles and joints of your arms, such as your shoulders, biceps, triceps, wrists, and forearms, can be stretched and contracted with arm stretches. Arm stretches can improve your short-term range of motion and flexibility while also activating your muscles and promoting blood flow.

Cross crawls

The term “cross crawl” describes motions including crawling, walking, running, and swimming that involve opposition. To organize the right shoulder and left leg, then the left arm and right leg, the opposing sides of the body must cooperate.

Precautions

Whenever feasible, it is crucial to get professional training assistance. When it comes to these kinds of exercises, work with a fitness professional or physical therapist because they can customize a program for your unique needs, whether you’re an athlete looking to improve performance and avoid injuries or an elderly person who wants to improve balance and basic daily functioning.

Conclusion

Your body’s capacity to sense its location in space, or proprioception, aids in movement and balance. Your athletic performance and balance may be enhanced by including proprioception exercises in your training regimen, which may also lower your risk of falls and injuries.

A physical therapy evaluation and proprioceptive training program will be beneficial because proprioception deficiencies can affect a joint’s capacity to function correctly and raise the risk of joint injury.

FAQs

Reference

• The Healthline Editorial Team. (2025, February 26). Try these 10 proprioception exercises to help with balance, control, and coordination. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/proprioception-exercises
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• Australia, B. (n.d.). Bauerfeind. Bauerfeind Australia. https://bauerfeind.com.au/blogs/news/the-top-6-exercises-for-proprioception
• Proprioception Exercises for balance and strength – Dr. Axe. (2023, August 26). Dr. Axe. https://draxe.com/fitness/proprioception/#:~:text=Knee%20strengthening%20exercises%20like%20leg%20presses%2C%20squats,request%20of%20this%20strength%20more%20and%20more.
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• Dpt, L. P. P. (2024, November 27). 5 easy proprioceptive activities to try at home | NAPA Centre. NAPA. https://napacentre.com.au/proprioceptive-activities/
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