21 Best Proprioception Exercises to Improve Balance and Coordination

Have you ever noticed how your body moves on autopilot? For instance, think about how you can trip and fall while running but quickly regain your balance. Or how your hands can automatically catch a falling object before it hits the ground. This ability to control your body without thinking about it is known as proprioception. Proprioception is critical to many daily movements and organized sports. Proprioception exercises help improve the body's balance, coordination, and control to boost performance. 

This article will explore proprioception and some exercises you can do to improve your body awareness using the Pliability’s mobility app. 

What Is Proprioception and Why Is It Important in Sports and Fitness?

Proprioception simply refers to the body’s ability to sense movement, balance, and position without needing to look. For instance, imagine balancing on one leg while putting on your pants. As you go to pull up the leg of your pants, your ankle and hip have to make subtle adjustments to keep you balanced.

Proprioceptors in your joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons help you make those adjustments without having to look down at your foot. Proprioception is crucial for coordination and agility, as it helps us move fluidly and adjust our movements in response to changes in our environment. A well-developed sense of proprioception can also help prevent injuries by allowing us to make quick adjustments to avoid a fall or awkward landing.

Proprioceptors: The Neurons That Help Us Sense Movement

According to the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, proprioception can be defined as “the sense that lets us perceive the location, movement, and action of parts of the body.” Throughout your muscles, tendons, joints, skin, and inner ear, there is a vast network of proprioceptors.

These are neurons (nerve cells) that sense movement, position, and force. They continually send information from the rest of your body to the brain, where it merges with information from your other senses (such as sight, hearing, or your sense of balance). This process helps your brain “calculate” how to move through space.

Proprioception’s Role in Sports:  A Real-Life Example

To understand the importance of proprioception, imagine you’re running on a trail. At one point, your foot comes into contact with some mud, and it starts to slip out of place, putting you at risk of a tumble. Now, if you didn’t have proprioceptors, the only way you could know that you were starting to slip would be by looking at where your feet were.

Fortunately, the proprioceptors in your feet sense the slipping motion and send this information to your brain at lightning speed. In turn, your brain sends out a signal to your body to compensate for the slip, so you maintain your balance and can keep on running. Countless other proprioception examples show how important this sense is in sports.

Proprioception in Sports Movements

When you serve in tennis or squash, your eye should be on the ball as you throw it into the air. Proprioception means you can swing the racket up behind you and know where your arm is. That allows you to connect the racket with the ball without looking at where your racket hand is. 

When you’re playing volleyball, netball, or handball, proprioception allows you to continue running while your eyes are on the ball. If you’re lining up a penalty in hockey, proprioception will enable you to step your front foot forward and stroke the puck without needing to look where your feet are moving.

What Happens When Proprioception Is Impaired?

If you have poor proprioception after an injury or surgery, you may not even notice. But sometimes, impaired proprioception results in difficulty with basic functional mobility. For example, when walking on unsteady surfaces, you may feel like you are about to lose your balance.

If your proprioception is off, you may even fall. People with Parkinson’s disease have impaired proprioception that is only partially restored with medications or deep-brain stimulation. Upper extremity injuries may also result in loss of proprioception. You may have difficulty reaching properly, and I may have problems with fine motor tasks that require precision of movement.

What Body Systems Are Involved in Proprioception?

Proprioception is a very complex process, and it happens without you realizing it. Parts of your body involved in proprioception include your:

Brain

Several parts of your brain work together to process sensory information, especially the cerebellum, brainstem, and sensory cortex. Your brain interprets how you perceive the position of my body and acts on it.

Peripheral Mechanoreceptors

Mechanoreceptors are in your skin, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and near your bones and joints. They can detect various stimuli, such as touch, pressure, stretching, vibration, and motion. They sense the internal forces acting on your body and send this information to your brain.

Peripheral Vestibular System

You have five organs in your inner ear that sense information your body needs to maintain balance, like your posture, position, and movement. They send this information to your brain.

Eyes

Through your vision, your eyes send information to your brain about your position in space and objects around you. But you can have adequate proprioception without vision. For example, people with a healthy sense of proprioception can close their eyes and accurately touch their fingers to their noses.

What Are the Signs of Poor Proprioception? 

Signs and symptoms of proprioception dysfunction or poor proprioception may include:

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• Balance issues, which can lead to frequent falls
• Clumsiness, like accidentally running into objects around you
• Dizziness
• Issues with spatial awareness
• Uncoordinated movements
• Using too little or too much force for actions (like using too much pressure when writing)
• Under- or overshooting actions (like missing an object when you reach for it)

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These symptoms and behaviors can affect people at any age. But in general, your risk of proprioception issues increases as you age due to the natural deterioration of your joints, muscles, nerves, and brain.

What Conditions Affect Proprioception?

Some examples of injuries, conditions, and situations that can affect your sense of proprioception include: 

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• Alcohol intoxication
• Ataxia
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Joint injuries (like a sprain) or conditions (like arthritis and joint hypermobility syndrome)
• Joint replacement (arthroplasty)
• Limb loss (amputation)
• Neurodegenerative conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease
• Neuromuscular conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and muscular dystrophy
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Sensory processing disorders, including dyspraxia, postural disorder, and sensory under-responsivity (SUR)
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and stroke
• Vestibular disorders like vertigo and Ménière’s disease

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Why Is Proprioception Important in Sports and Fitness? 

Proprioception is crucial in all sports and fitness activities. It allows an athlete to dribble a soccer ball and run without looking down or thinking through each step. It also allows a volleyball player to know where the ball is in the air to spike it.

Building Proprioception Through Practice

The more a person practices, the more proprioception improves. Imagine that you’re new to basketball. First, you learn to dribble the ball on the spot. Then, you know how to walk and dribble.

Finally, you learn to dribble, run, and shoot all while paying attention to the game around you. Even an experienced athlete can still benefit from proprioceptive training. It can help you develop better balance, reaction time, coordination, and agility, which can make a huge difference in your overall performance.

Proprioception Training for Injury Prevention

Proprioception training can lower your risk of injury. Improving proprioception in the muscles, tendons, and joints can help an athlete adapt to quick movements or shifts in balance to prevent common injuries, such as ankle sprains.

Adding proprioception training to your workout regimen may help you perform better and reduce your risk of injury. Proprioception training is essential for older adults to reduce the risk of falls and potential effects resulting from injury. 

How Is Proprioception Related to Balance? 

Balance is maintaining one’s center of gravity over a base of support. It comes from three sensory inputs:

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• The vestibular system (motion, equilibrium, and spatial orientation)
• Vision (eyesight)
• Proprioception (touch)

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How Proprioception Supports Balance

Proprioception is a component of your body’s balance system and tells you where your body is in space, the amount of force acting on your body (for example, when landing from a jump), or the estimated force you need to do something, such as pick up a heavy object.

For example, detecting uneven ground can tell your body to adapt its center of gravity to balance itself. Thus, proprioceptive training helps improve your overall balance. Writing about balance and proprioception is essential for reducing the risk of injury and falls while enhancing athletic performance.

Related Reading

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• What is Functional Movement
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• Does Yoga Help With Mobility
• How Long Does It Take to Improve Flexibility
• Why is Range of Motion Important
• How to Fix Tight Hamstrings

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21 Best Proprioception Exercises

1. One-Leg Standing Balance Test

This straightforward exercise assesses your current balance ability. To perform this test:

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• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Place your hands on your hips and shift your weight onto your left foot. Lift your right foot off the ground a few inches.
• Hold this position for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
• Repeat 2-3 times.
• Your performance on the one-leg standing balance test can indicate whether you have low muscle mass.

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2. One-Leg Three-Way Kick

This dynamic exercise challenges your balance while improving hip joint control and stability. To perform this move:

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• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
• Lift your right foot a few inches off the ground in front of your body and hold for 2-3 seconds.
• Return to the starting position.
• Lift your right foot to the side and hold for 2-3 seconds. Return to the starting position.
• Kick the right leg behind your body a few inches off the ground, hold for 2-3 seconds, and return to the starting position.
• Place the right foot on the floor. Switch to the left foot and repeat.
• Perform 2-3 sets on each side.

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Improve balance and joint control.

3. Cone Pickups

Cone pickups improve balance and coordination while targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and core. To perform this exercise:

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• Start by placing a cone or small object on the floor 2 feet in front of you.
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
• Lift your right foot a few inches off the ground.
• Bend at the hips to lower your body and pick up the cone using your left hand.
• As you do this, extend your right leg behind you to help with balance.
• Return to the starting position, bringing your right foot back to the floor and standing tall with the cone in your left hand.
• Switch sides and repeat 3-4 times.

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4. Bird Dog

The bird dog exercise increases stability and coordination while targeting the core, glutes, and back. To perform this exercise:

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• Start on all fours on a mat with your wrists aligned under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Keep your spine neutral and your neck in line with your back.
• Extend your left arm in front of you and your right leg behind you.
• Hold for 2-3 seconds while balancing on your right arm and left leg.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
• Perform 8-12 repetitions.

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5. Reverse Lunge

Reverse lunges improve lower-body strength and stability to help with balance. To perform this exercise:

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• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
• Shift your weight onto your left foot.
• Step back with your right foot, keeping the ball of your foot on the floor and your heel up.
• Lower your right knee toward the ground.
• Ensure both knees are bent at 90-degree angles.
• To return to standing, push into your left heel and squeeze your glutes.
• Repeat 8-12 times on each side.

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6. Tightrope Walk

Walking a straight line helps improve your balance, coordination, and joint control. To perform a tightrope walk:

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• Using a rope or some tape, create a straight line 3-6 feet on the floor.
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
• Walk beside the rope, carefully placing one foot in front of the other like you’re walking on a tightrope.
• Try to walk to the end of the line without losing balance.
• At the end of the line, turn around and walk back.
• Repeat 3-4 times.

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7. Tree Pose

Tree pose is a yoga balance pose that strengthens the muscles of the standing leg while improving your focus and concentration. To perform this pose:

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• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your palms pressed together in front of your chest.
• Shift your weight onto your left foot and slowly lift your right leg off the ground.
• For extra balance, place one hand on a wall for support.
• Place your right foot on your left inner thigh, or inner calf, if this is difficult.
• The knee should be pointing away from the body.
• Hold for 10-20 seconds or however long is comfortable, then switch sides.

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8. Banded Tri-Planar Toe Taps

This exercise, using a resistance band, helps improve dynamic balance and joint control of the ankles. To perform this exercise:

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• Place a loop resistance band around your ankles and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Shift your weight onto your left foot and sink into a quarter squat.
• Hold this position.
• Tap your right toe forward, to the side (away from the body), and then behind the body.
• If this is difficult, remove the loop. Repeat ten times, then repeat on the other side. 

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9. Flamingo Stand

The flamingo stand helps improve balance and stability of the ankle and foot. To perform this exercise:

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• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips.
• Shift your weight onto your left foot and bring your right leg up so your knee is at a 90-degree angle.
• For extra balance, place one hand on a wall for support.
• Hold this position for 10-20 seconds, or however long is comfortable, then repeat on the other side.

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10. Sumo Squat to One Leg

This exercise targets the inner thigh muscles and helps improve balance and stability. To perform this exercise:

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• Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart and turned away from the body at a 45-degree angle.
• Engage your core and bend your knees, sinking into a sumo squat.
• Shift your weight onto your left foot and prepare to spring up and kick out the right leg to the side.
• Place your right leg back on the floor.
• Return to the start position and repeat 8-12 times, then switch sides.

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11. Single-Leg Scissor Stand

The single-leg scissor stand targets your knee, making it an excellent exercise for strengthening and improving proprioception after a knee injury. To perform this exercise:

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• Place a small rolled-up towel on the floor.
• Step onto the towel with your right leg and slightly bend the knee.
• Step forward with your left leg, crossing your body’s center line as though your toes are drawing a circle.
• Keep your weight on your supporting leg throughout the exercise.
• Step backward with your left leg, crossing your body’s center line.
• Point the kneecap of the right leg toward the right big toe at all times.
• Do 10 reps. Repeat for the other side.

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12. One-Legged Bend

This exercise is similar to bird dog but places greater emphasis on the lower body and builds ankle stability. To perform this exercise:

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• Stand upright on a gym mat with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Slowly bend at the hips while extending and lifting your left leg and lowering your right hand toward the floor.
• Once you’ve touched the floor (or come as close as your body allows), slowly bend up and return to the starting position.
• Repeat for the other side. Do 10 reps per leg.

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13. One-Legged Sumo Squats

Moving into more advanced exercises, let’s start with one-legged sumo squats. These activate pretty much every leg muscle you have while forcing you to adapt your center of gravity. To perform this exercise:

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• Stand on a gym mat with your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart and turned outward at 45-degree angles.
• Squat down, keeping your spine neutral and heels firmly on the floor.
• Unlike a regular sumo squat, you won’t push up evenly with both legs. Instead, shift your weight into your right leg as you lift.
• As you do so, kick your left leg up to the side. Squat back down into a regular sumo squat, then repeat the process for your left leg.
• For more of a challenge, try pushing up onto your tiptoes. Do 15-20 reps per leg.

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14. Plank Taps

This exercise improves core strength and stability while challenging your balance. To perform this exercise:

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• Get into a high plank position on a mat.
• Make sure you keep your spine in a neutral position and your core activated throughout.
• Shift your weight onto your left arm and briefly touch your right hand to your left shoulder.
• Return to the starting position.
• Repeat for the other side. Do 5-10 reps per arm.

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15. One-Legged Catch

To do this exercise, simply grab any bouncy ball and a mate and play catch while standing on one leg. Your other foot should not touch the ground. While a one-legged catch might not be overly strenuous, it does require a perfect sense of proprioception to pull off.

You’ll need to correctly position your arm and hand and rapidly shift your center of gravity to catch the ball without falling over.  Improve dynamic balance and coordination.

16. Unilateral 3-Way Kick

This exercise focuses on balance and core strength. To perform this exercise:

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• Begin by standing on one leg. With flexed toes, raise the opposite leg off the floor, then lower it back to the starting position.
• Repeat this to the back and side with each leg.
• To increase the difficulty of this exercise, stand on the edge of an uneven surface, such as a foam pad.

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17. Shoulder Wall Ball Stability

The shoulder is crucial to posture and neck support. This exercise improves strength regardless of an injury. To perform this exercise:

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• Place a large exercise ball against a wall, keeping it in place with one hand. Maintain an extended elbow, but avoid locking it or hyperextending it.
• Make small circles with your arm, moving the ball and keeping the arm extended. Continue for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Repeat with the other arm. Some physical therapists suggest “drawing” the ABCs with the ball to keep time and distinguish the movements.  Improve shoulder stability and proprioception.

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18. Agility Ladder Runs

Agility ladder runs are a great form of proprioception training, and they require a lot of balance, stability, and agility. Here’s how to do them:

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• Lay out an agility ladder on the floor.
• Starting with your right foot, step into the first box, then bring your left foot into the first box, before stepping into the second box with your right foot.
• Run down the ladder, then alternate, so your left foot goes first.

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There are many different variations of agility ladder runs. You could do a side-to-side run. You could also try an in-out shuffle, where you move up the ladder by stepping into a box from the right side, moving out to the left, then forward up the ladder.  Improve agility, balance, and coordination.

19. Single Leg Box Jump

This is an excellent example of an exercise that will train the proprioceptors in your feet, ankles, legs, and knees. Here’s how to do them:

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• You will need a stable gym box or a step if doing this exercise outdoors.
• Stand on both feet facing the box, swing your arms up, and leap forward.
• Land on your right foot only, then step back down.
• Repeat five times on each leg.

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20. Bosu Ball Squat

This is one of the more challenging proprioception exercises. It requires a lot of balance and trains your ankle and knee proprioceptors to adjust to an unstable surface continually. To perform this exercise:

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• Place a Bosu ball on the floor with the ‘ball’ side to the ground, and the flat plastic platform facing up.
• Place a foot on either side of the platform and shift your weight so you are balancing on the ball.
• Now, perform a squat while maintaining your balance, then return to standing and repeat 10 times.

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21. Proprioception for Injury Rehabilitation

Proprioception training is commonly used in injury rehabilitation, especially after surgeries like hip or knee replacements, or when managing certain health conditions. A physiotherapist will guide you through various techniques to improve balance and coordination and support your body’s healing process. These techniques may include:

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• Balance exercises
• Yoga or Tai Chi
• Vibration therapy
• Joint mobilization and massage
• Wearing textured insoles
• Walking barefoot on a textured surface

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Related Reading

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• How to Get a Crook Out Your Neck
• Loss of Mobility
• How Does Flexibility Work
• Flexibility Gymnastics
• Are Women More Flexible Than Men
• What is the Impact of Age on Flexibility
• What is Passive Stretching

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How Often Should I Do Proprioception Exercises?

If you’re aiming to improve your stability in a sport such as running, football, hockey, tennis or badminton, aim to do two or three proprioception training sessions per week. They don’t require much time, as little as 30 seconds per exercise is enough to begin with.

On the other hand, if you’re doing proprioception exercises to recover from surgery or an injury, you’ll need to do more; speak with a physiotherapist for further guidance.

Testing for Proprioception

Healthcare providers and sports therapists can use several tests to assess different aspects of proprioception. Some examples include:

Romberg Test

This is a simple physical test to determine if the dorsal column pathway of your brain and spinal cord, which controls proprioception, isn’t working properly. The test involves standing with your feet together and your arms at your side or crossed in front of you.

Part of the test is with your eyes open, and the second part is with your eyes closed. Your provider observes you during the test and notes any signs of imbalance, such as swaying.

Heel-to-Toe Test (tandem gait)

Your provider will ask you to walk in a straight line so that the toes of your back foot touch the heel of your front foot at each step.

Heel-to-Shin Test

For this test, you place the heel of one foot on the shin of the other leg and then slide your heel down my shin in a straight line toward my foot.

Finger-to-Nose Test

Your provider asks you to reach for their finger with an outstretched arm and then touch your own nose with the same arm/hand. You repeat this process several times.

Physical therapists and sports therapists may use specialized equipment to assess specific joints for proprioception. The names of these testing techniques include:

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• Threshold to detection of passive motion (TTDPM)
• Joint position reproduction (JPR), also known as joint position matching
• Active movement extent discrimination assessment (AMEDA)

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Progressing Proprioception Exercises

Progression of proprioception exercises can be done by altering the surface you are standing upon. Try standing on a pillow or piece of foam. Standing with your eyes closed, thus eliminating your visual system, can also challenge your proprioception.

Improving Balance in Parkinson’s with Proprioception

One small study found that people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease improved balance when they received proprioception training or a yoga meditation program. When you visit a physical therapist, they may assess your balance and proprioception and prescribe exercises to help improve it.

These exercises may challenge your balance, creating situations where you feel unsteady. This unsteadiness is necessary; it helps to improve your balance and proprioception.

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Pliability focuses on the type of yoga that benefits athletes and active people by improving mobility. The Pliability app features routines designed to improve flexibility, enhance recovery, and reduce injury. 

Athletes can use the app to reduce pain and improve range of motion. Pliability also includes a unique scanning feature that allows users to identify problem areas before tackling routines to improve mobility. 

Related Reading

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• What is Static Exercise
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• Why Does Stretching Hurt
• Yoga Poses for Flexibility
• Hip Opening Yoga Poses
• Neck Mobility Exercises
• Flexibility Goals Examples

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