4 activities to work on proprioception

Are you familiar with proprioception? How can you work on it? What type of equipment is needed? How can you develop your balance using proprioception? Whether you're interested in proprioceptive re-education or injury prevention, find out all about our advice on proprioceptive exercises.

What is proprioception?

By reading this article, we hope to answer the question you are asking: what is proprioception? Each of us has sensory receptors which enable us to react, understand and organise ourselves in relation to the events and objects around us.

These sensory receptors respond in an adapted way to the stimuli perceived in our environment. Organised in the form of stimulireceptors, the response of these receptors is based on the 7 classic sensory systems Visual, tactile, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, vestibular and proprioceptive.

La proprioception is a sensory system that refers to the representation and perception in space of the position of different parts of the body. If we break down the composition of the word, we notice that the words "own"andperception"define what proprioception is Knowing where your body is and how it moves. It's a sense that's closely linked to sense of balance.

As a result proprioceptive sensory receptorspositioned in the muscles, joints and ligaments, can organise themselves in the face of an emergency. physical activity which stimulates the joints (jumping, crawling, rolling, falling, running, walking), sustained force (lifting and carrying a heavy object), dynamic force (pushing or pulling something, doing push-ups), deep pressure on the muscles (heavy object, massage). It's the brain's reaction to these stimuli that defines how the muscles should react depending on the desired objective: either contract or relax.

More generally proprioception can be found in many of our everyday physical and leisure activities. It is also possible to increase proprioceptive capacity by carrying out specific exercises. By doing this sense of balance The quality and responsiveness of information processing between the body and the brain are improved. The sensory system communicates better with the nervous system. The main consequence is clear: the risk of injury is greatly reduced. To find out more, discover our complete guide to proprioception.

How do you work on proprioception?

Weight training

Weight training can be an ideal physical activity if you want to stimulate your proprioception and your muscle strengthening. Among the many physical exercises recommended by health professionals, you can focus on doing lunges, jumping squats and push-ups. All accompanied by a few weights to add difficulty to your physical effort.

Don't hesitate to control your movements to optimise proprioceptive work. Use a mirror to see if you are performing the gestures correctly.

Balance exercises

Training proprioceptive can be integrated intuitively into everyone's daily routine. All you have to do is add balance to each of your everyday activities: putting on your socks while standing, balancing while cooking, throwing a ball on one foot, hopping or closing your eyes.

By carrying out your proprioception exercisesRemember to work barefoot and to vary the difficulty (static or dynamic balance, eyes open or closed). Remember to maintain optimal posture with good alignment of the spine, head and pelvis.

What's more, by combining sheathing with your proprioception exercises, you'll be able to strengthen your posture. Don't limit yourself to just a few body-support exercises if you want to improve your proprioception.

To complement the equipment-free exercises, a number of proprioceptive tools can enable you to perform effective balance exercises without too much searching.

• Balance boards :

Working on a balance board has many advantages, and is not just for physiotherapists. Simple to use, the "bosu" or balance board is very effective for developing balance management. As mentioned above, don't hesitate to add difficulty by closing your eyes or juggling, doing squats, etc.

• Slackline :

It's the tool that can boost your balance ! This fun outdoor activity can keep you busy for hours. It's up to you to adapt the height and difficulty to suit your level. You can vary the speed at which you walk, time yourself but also try to perform a few technical tricks to add to the difficulty of the slackline. Even better, if space allows, try running races with your friends.

• Dynamic stools :

The majority of ergonomic stools offer adjustable, dynamic seating functionality. In this way, proprioceptive work can be integrated more easily into a sitting position, reducing the need for static sitting.

Stools like the ActiveBase ergonomic seatare recommended for reducing back pain and promoting good health. dynamic position sitting down.

Tree climbing

Perfect for those who like to climb trees and gain height, accrobranche is a physical activity that will enable you to work on proprioception in the great outdoors. Taking your time on suspension bridges, nets and logs will help you develop your proprioceptive skills.

Running on uneven ground

Combine running and proprioception running on uneven paths. Less stable than smooth surfaces such as tracks or roads, these paths will be good training for improve your proprioception while developing your muscle strength.

Make sure you are properly equipped for this type of physical and proprioceptive activity. Trail shoes with good foot support are essential. Don't try to run in long strides either, to reduce the risk of falling. Keep your hands ready to catch yourself if you fall to the ground. The steeper and rougher the terrain, the greater the demands on proprioception.