We’re all familiar with our five main senses: touch, taste, smell, sight and sound but did you know that scientists now agree that they are just the beginning of how our bodies perceive the world around us? You may never have heard of the movement sense before, but read on to find out what it is, how it affects our body and what we can do to improve its effectiveness.
What is the movement sense?
Proprioception, as it is scientifically known, is the body’s way of sensing movement and location. It is through proprioception that you are able to read this sentence that just happens to mention your feet and immediately you know where they are (touching the floor, under a blanket) without having to look. It is present in every single muscle in your body and is what allows you to walk without thinking about every step and have an awareness of your surroundings in relation to your body as well as pain, temperature and balance.
Why is it important?
Despite many people not even being aware of proprioception, it plays a massive part in how effectively your body works, including coordination, posture, how well you can focus and even your ability to speak, as well as knowing how much force to exert on other objects to achieve what we want. Without proprioceptive input, we wouldn’t be able to play instruments, write legibly or take part in sports.
How does it work?
Your body contains sensory receptors throughout, though they’re mainly found in your joints, muscles, and tendons. This differs from your sense of touch because the messages relayed are not connected to your skin. When you move, these sensors send messages to your brain about where you are and what you’re doing. Your brain then works with a number of internal systems and senses, including your sight, to make sense of how and where your body is moving.
Can my sense of movement deteriorate?
Your movement sense can certainly deteriorate over time, just as your eyesight may worsen as you get older. You may become less steady on your feet due to a nervous system issue or as a side-effect of alcohol. Whilst some effects to proprioception may be permanent, some can be treated and improved over time.
Can a sense of movement be improved?
Your sense of movement can certainly be strengthened by taking part in a range of novel, playful and curious movements to stimulate both the brain and the body. Taking part in sports from yoga to racket games can help keep the body and mind agile and fine-tune your proprioceptive sense. If you have a child, you can help develop and strengthen their movement senses in a number of ways including investing in a balance bike or scooter from suppliers such as RiiRoo. Encouraging your body to move in an unexpected and unusual way (such as when using a scooter) helps the body to take notice of muscles it does not usually focus on, all whilst increasing balance and developing coordination.
So there we have it: the movement sense. A series of receptors that affect almost every part of our day to day lives and keep our bodies moving in the right direction.
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