Proprioception. What is it and how do we fix it if we need to?
Lets understand what this is and why we need it, as well as how to fix it if we need to. A good example for this, and the example we will use is weak ankles due to being rolled multiple times.
So, what is Proprioception?
Proprioception allows us to control parts of our body without having to directly look at them. The unconscious awareness in regards to our position, balance and equilibrium.
OK, why do we need this?
Simply put, proprioception allows us to be spatially aware.
Imagine being in a dark room, would you be able to walk from one end to the other? Of course you would as long as nothing was in your way. Proprioception allows us to have a sense of balance, to know exactly where we are in this space, if we are standing up or sitting down, and to know which foot is in front of the other.
What are extrafusal muscle fibers?
Extrafusal muscle fibers are the outer part of the muscle and make up a larger portion of skeletal fibers. These are also known as muscle ’striations’ which you can see on bodybuilders when they have gone through the cutting phase. These fibers are attached to bone by fibrous tissue or tendons, and are controlled by motor neurons that create tension by contracting, thus allowing movement of the skeleton.
What are muscle spindles?
Muscle spindles are small receptors that are concealed within the extrafusal muscle fibers. These spindles send messages to our CNS (central nervous system) about muscle stretch.
What are intrafusal muscle fibers?
These muscle fibers are sensory organs that are found within the muscle spindle itself, and work by detecting the rate and amount of length that has changed in a muscle. Intrafusal fibers contract at both ends where the middle only ever stretches (think rubber band).
What parts do Actin and Myosin play?
Actin and myosin are protein filaments that both reside in the muscle spindles and are responsible for a multitude of different types of cell movements in the body.
Actin is the most important contributor in muscle contraction and exists in two types – G-actin (globular) and F-actin (filamentous). F-actin is what creates muscle contraction in association with myosin.
Myosin, is the essential part of the thick filaments within a muscle. It’s main job is to convert chemical energy such as ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) into mechanical energy to produce movement and force.
How do we fix the loss of proprioception where ankles are concerned?
One of easiest ways to do this would be the single leg balance exercise. Try and make this a staple in your workouts or just something you do on a repetitive basis while at work if your ankles roll easily or are generally weak. The more you do it, the quicker your balance will return.
Performing the exercise: Level 1
Begin by standing in the corner of a room so you have something to lean against if you become unbalanced. This is just for a bit of safety in the beginning. Raise one foot off the ground and keep your knee at around a 90 degree angle for as long as you can or up to a maximum of 30 seconds. Perform this for each side.
Be honest with yourself and restart the count if your foot touches the ground or if you are speeding the count up. Try to do this exercise around 5 – 8 times per day. Quality over quantity! Once you can perform this with minimal loss of balance or swaying movement, move onto level 2.
Allow 4 – 5 days to notice any progress with this exercise if your ankles have become quite weak.
Performing the exercise: Level 2
This is a slight adaption of level 1 where you close your eyes for the same period of time, if you can. It sounds easier than it looks trust me, and again, for safety reasons please stand in a corner when first performing this exercise. Once you have reached a solid 30 seconds worth, you can start to implement strengthening exercises into your ankle routine also. We’ll get into some of these in another article.
Once you have mastered both levels of this exercise, try to find different ways to test your proprioception. This could be by opening and closing your eyes rapidly or more slowly within that 30 seconds, using a kettlebell or standing on a balance board. There are plenty of choices in exercise for this, and the more of a challenge the better off you’ll be in the long run.
Hope this article has given you some insight into fixing ankles that have a tendency to keep giving out, or are just weak.