Proprioception relates to our ability to sense and move our limbs. Typically, somebody with poor proprioception will struggle with balance, coordination and reaction time. These proprioceptive skills can be enhanced by practicing single leg exercises or exercising on unstable surfaces. This will lead to a greater sense of balance in your day-to-day life, which is especially important as you age.

Bodyweight Stability Push Ups

Balance Pods will provide an unstable surface to make push-ups more challenging. This is because the deltoids, abdominals, obliques and triceps will be put under constant tension to keep the body from falling to one side. Hands should be positioned shoulder-width apart in line with your eyes. Feet can be adjusted to vary the difficulty (increased width will reduce difficulty).

Dumbbell Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

Using two dumbbells held at arm's length with a neutral grip, bend forward at the waist while keeping the working leg relatively straight. The non-working leg extends backwards to stay in line with the torso. Throughout this movement, keep the neck and spine in a neutral position by engaging the abdominals to promote balance. By using one leg, greater emphasis is placed on balance whilst testing the strength of the posterior muscles located within the lower body (hamstrings, glutes and adductors). The further forward you lean the harder you will need to focus to enable you to return to the upright starting position.

Kettlebell Figure 8

Stand upright with the kettlebell hanging in front of your legs. Move the kettlebell around your left leg, swap hands in the middle, then around your right leg to form a figure eight pattern. This is a whole-body exercise that contains sagittal, frontal and transverse elements. This means the movements required to perform the exercise are complex, with the additional challenge of not looking at where the kettlebell is. This is essential for anyone looking to develop their proprioceptive skills because you can monitor the location of your extremities in relation to an object without visual detection.

Single Leg Cable Row

Stand on one leg, holding a d-handle in the opposite hand. Lean forwards slightly and pull the weight back until your hand is level with your chest. Similar to the single leg dumbbell RDL, the test of staying balanced whilst moving a weight targets the proprioceptive sensors responsible for providing the brain with information relating the body’s position within the environment and how to remain stable.

Battle Rope Wave Lunges

Setup with your knees slightly bent, feet shoulder width apart and both hands holding either end of one battle rope. Alternate small waves with each hand by slamming the ropes to the floor in a quick rhythmic fashion. As you complete waves, step back into a reverse lunge and alternate on each side. Make sure that you keep good tension through the core to help transmit force through the floor and keep the spine neutral as your limbs are moving. Focusing on this aspect of the exercise is what allows your proprioceptive skills to be developed, particularly stabilising the knee joint.

Landmine Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Press

Stand upright, holding the end of a barbell in your left hand. Perform a reverse lunge, lowering the bar to your left shoulder. As you stand, press the bar up high. Swap hands and repeat on the other side. The reverse lunge increases proprioceptive skills by focusing on timing, with your arms and legs performing independent exercises. Shop our range of Landmine Posts Here.

Exercise Ball Cable Flye

Place a Swiss Ball. between two single grip cable handles, set low on the machine. Lay back on the exercise ball (the ball should be under your middle-back) with your knees bent, arms outstretched to the side, and feet flat on the floor for stability. Keep your core tight to help with balancing on the ball. Pull the handles up until your hands touch and then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. The challenge of keeping the stability ball stationary whilst moving the two separate weight stacks is excellent for activating the proprioceptive receptors.

Barbell Power Clean

Start with knees at 90 degrees, feet hip-width apart with hands about one thumb’s distance from hips. Begin extending your legs and when the bar reaches your upper leg extend the hips rapidly. This momentum allows the bar to be shrugged and rested on the top of the pectorals to complete one repetition. This exercise requires precise timing and high-power output to coordinate the joints in a way that enables the weight to be moved safely using the correct muscles.

Incorporating proprioception exercises into any Gym-based programme carries unrivalled benefits ranging from joint longevity through to muscular hypertrophy and functional fitness. Stick to six to eight reps per set to build strength while improving your balance.

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

Tags: Equipment > Bars and Weight Plates ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength