I’m Working on Pro Pee

Until now, I’ve never felt called to share any specific exercises with you.  A Pinterest search can provide you with a new way to move your body every day for the rest of your life.  

And really, this world does not need another health and fitness blogger.  I’m more of a chocolate, movement and grace blogger. 

However, I’ve been integrating something into my classes that I’m so passionate about I want to share it with you.  If you don’t exercise, please keep reading, because this is something everyone can do – even in your pajamas.  I think that’s why I like it so much! 

The fancy word that sounds a little bit like pee

Proprioception.  Sounds fancy, doesn’t it?

Click here to hear it.  

Phonetically, it’s proh-pree-uhsepshuh n   

Not pro-pee.  But it made for a good post title.

The American Council on Exercise explains it well:

It’s that little sense that lets you know where the body is in relation to its various segments and the external environment. You have receptors (proprioceptors) located in the skin, in and around the joints and muscles, and in the inner ear that send back information to tell you where you are. 

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

Application of proprioception

Basically, if your nose itches and you reach your hand up to scratch it without mindfully lifting your arm, twisting your wrist, and focusing the land on the center of your nose, your proprioception is working well.  You are aware of what your arm is doing in relation to your nose.  

Same goes with sitting on a chair.  You don’t have to look behind you, reach down and grab the sides and lower yourself down.  You just sit, keeping your eyes on whatever you may be looking at.

The more birthdays we have [read: the older we get], body awareness and balance decrease.  Just like our muscles and skin, the receptors that keep us balanced don’t work as well.  The Washington Post has a fantastic quick-read article for more information.

Staying healthy means preparing our body for life’s activities. Here's how to prepare it by doing movements that help balance and space awareness.

If you’re a klutz…

Some of us are clumsy by nature, including me.  I trip and stumble enough that my 11-year old son feels like he needs to look after me in the grocery store parking lot.  

What he fails to realize, though, is that rarely do I totally bite it.  Well, there was that one race, where I was over-exaggerating a ridiculous wave to my spectator husband. I tripped on the uneven sidewalk, fell forward, scratched my hands and knee, jumped back up and kept running, all to my husband’s shock and horror.  It was the closest thing to Parkour I’ve ever done.

I digress. 

The thing is, I’m only half-clumsy.  I’m clum.  

Typically I’ll catch and right myself then get back to what I was doing.  I truly believe I can do this thanks to the various balance training I do in everyday life.  It helps when I’m clum in the gym, too.  

True story: I was discussing proprioception in class this week and promptly tripped on my yoga mat.  A few quick imbalanced steps later I was upright and finishing my sentence.

Staying healthy means preparing our body for life’s activities. Here's how to prepare it by doing movements that help balance and space awareness.

Keep the end game in mind

I talk a lot about protecting our body as we age.  This is one of the best proactive steps we can take.  If we can’t catch ourselves when we accidentally step off a curb, trip over a dog bone, or lean just a little too far out of bed to turn off the lamp (all of which I’ve done in the last week), then all the strength training and cardiovascular exercise in the world won’t keep us from hitting the ground and potentially injuring ourselves.  

Staying healthy means preparing our body for life’s activities.  

Want to bike ride at 70? Step down bleachers without fear of falling? Confidently walk across a hanging ladder in Costa Rica?  Then add in some proprioception exercises.

Below are additional articles I recommend.  Sometimes it’s the little things that count, even in your workouts.

I’d love your ideas as well!  Let’s help each other out.  How do you train your body to respond in responsive scenarios?

What the fitness experts say.  IDEA is a fitness association that offers a wide variety of science-based articles to help those in the industry bring the best to their clients. 

Who has the best proprioception in your family? This is a fun little activity. Do it with your kids. They’ll get a kick out of it too! 

Dr. Axe I am not familar with Dr. Axe and can’t endorse anything beyond this article, but this is comprehensive and gives you many exercises.

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