Improve Balance, Stability and Coordination

Improve balance and coordination; reduce the risk of injury through proprioception training.

What is proprioception?

Proprioception is your sense of position. It is knowing where your body is in space without having to look, a subconscious process. For example, it enables you to walk without looking at your feet.

One’s proprioception tends to weaken with age. This is because signals to and from the brain slow with time, resulting in a negative effect on balance which increases the risk of falling. Impaired balance is usually one of the first symptoms of declining proprioception.

There are, however, exercises designed to improve one’s proprioception, performed at any age. When properly executed these exercises teach/re-teach the brain/body to adequately and safely react to changes in position, surroundings and other external forces.

Although exercising to improve proprioception is beneficial and helps reduce the risk of injury, one also needs to be careful. Instances where it may be advisable NOT to perform such training include situations where there is:

Acute inflammation
Postoperative circumstances
Joint instability, depending on location
Under the age of 16 or a senior
Excess body weight.

Contact a health care professional with any questions before beginning any training/exercising. Be careful about participating in group fitness classes such as advanced core training that require a higher level of expertise.

Start with simple exercises on the floor; increase the difficulty as proprioception improves.

Wear non-restrictive clothing and good shoes. Be near a support (such as a wall or a chair) or have someone in the room in case of dizziness or weakness to catch yourself if you lose your balance. Concentrate on breathing; do not hold your breath (may adversely affect blood pressure).