The Importance of Proprioceptive Training(本体感受性训练的重要性)
When it comes to sport performance, power, strength and endurance can only take you so far. Whether you’re a footballer dribbling the ball, a gymnast on the bars, or a rugby player diving for the line while fending off tackles, balance is absolutely critical for performance. John Shepherd takes a look at how balance and proprioceptive training and the mechanisms that lie behind this skill can be improved.Balance in sport involves a complex interplay between numerous factors. A number of these are conscious – such as deciding to move a limb to prevent yourself falling at the same time as performing a skill eg a basketball shot – while many more are unconscious. The unconscious element involves the ‘use’ of in-built sensory mechanisms and programmed responses. This is known as ‘proprioception’. Proprioception has been called the ‘sixth sense’ and is basically a mechanism (or, more accurately, a series of mechanisms) that keeps track and control of muscle tensions and movement in the body.
When you consciously make movements or are subjected to external forces, your muscles, ligaments and joints will be making their own ‘judgments’, based on the information that they receive from their own sources. These judgments are then used to invoke mechanisms to control movement (more about this later). These mechanisms are known as sensorimotor processes, and scientists have been investigating how the senses consciously and subconsciously react with one another to control movement (known as sensorimotor research). Sports scientists now believe that sensorimotor ability and proprioception can be enhanced by specific practices.
Mechanics of proprioception
Proprioception is achieved through muscles, ligaments and joint actions using messages that are continuously sent through the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS then relays information to the rest of the body literally ‘telling’ it how to react and with what amount of tension/action. Some of these instructions go to the brain, where more often than not they are acted on unconsciously, whilst others go to the spinal cord, where they are acted on automatically.
Proprioceptors are basically ‘sensors’ that reside within muscles, joints and ligaments. These respond to pressure, stretch and tension and are key in initiating what is known as the ‘stretch/reflex’. You will probably be familiar with the stretch/reflex as a mechanism in the everyday sporting context when trying to stretch a muscle beyond its sticking point – a point will be reached when the muscle will not want to stretch any further. This is the result of the stretch/reflex mechanism kicking in and trying to prevent the muscle from being stretched further.
Although not so readily apparent, the stretch/reflex also provides control over other functions eg your postural muscles, which maintain the balance of the body against gravity. This makes it a global as well as specific site muscle mechanism. An example of this is if you were holding a weight in your outstretched hand and then had more added; the stretch/reflex would attempt to make the adjustments necessary to allow you to continue to hold the added load by ‘tweaking’ all the supporting muscles and influencing your posture.
Injury can impair proprioception
Injury can reduce the effectiveness of an athlete’s proprioception, something that the athlete and coach may not be fully aware of even when rehabilitation seems complete. A team from the University of Pittsburgh looked at the role of the sensorimotor system as it relates to functional stability, joint injury and muscle fatigue of the shoulder and the restoration of functional stability after shoulder injury (1). They noted that to fully restore shoulder stability, deficits in mechanical stability, proprioception and neuromuscular control are needed.
Specificity and proprioception
The rule of training specificity states that the greatest sports improvement gains will be derived from the most sport specific exercises for that sport. Thus for example, a sprint athlete will get greater returns from plyometric training, in comparison with weight training. However, it is possible that even these specific training means may not fully develop proprioceptive ability.
Mark Alexander, writing for PP’s sister publication Sports Injury Bulletin, notes that a focus on speed and power exercises, with their emphasis on fast-twitch muscle fibre may in fact disrupt proprioceptive ability (3). He indicates that fast-twitch muscle fibre is less adept at monitoring and controlling muscle tension when compared with slow-twitch fibre because of the quicker speed of neural impulses being sent and interpreted through muscle spindles and spinal motor neurons.
Thus it is argued that balance type exercises need to be performed at slower paces to optimally enhance proprioception. These allow postural stabiliser muscles, with their greater predominance of slow-twitch muscle fibre, to supply enhanced movement control. An example of a stabilising muscle is the soleus muscle of the lower leg, while the other major calf muscle (the gastrocnemius) is the ‘fast-twitch fibre rich prime mover’.
Balance type drills are seen to improve not only proprioception, reducing potential injury, but also the ability of an athlete to express power. To explain this, think of a high jumper planting off their curved approach to leap dynamically skyward. The forces going through the athlete’s prime mover leg muscles need to be controlled by the stabilising muscles. The more effective these muscles are, the more effective the power output will be from the prime movers. This is akin to the fine-tuning of a race car’s suspension (which can be equated to the stabilising muscles), where small tweaks can greatly enhance the geometry of the car and therefore the speed produced by its prime mover – the engine.
To counter the thoughts of those who might still advocate faster movements for the development of proprioception, it is necessary to differentiate between proprioception and kinaesthetic awareness. Kinaesthetic awareness is about the ability of an athlete to perform a dynamic sporting skill, perhaps from an unstable position, and involves the conscious control of the body in space and time in order to affect a sports skill. This differs from the more automatic nature of proprioception responses.
John Shepherd MA is a specialist health, sport and fitness writer and a former international
long jumper
References
1. J Athl Train 2000; 35(3):351-363
2. [url]www.chekinstitute.com[/url]
3. [url]www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/strength-training-injuries.html[/url]
Proprioceptive exercises training prgramme（本体感受性训练的计划）
This eight-week exercise programme can help you guard against getting hurt and increasing your strength, balance, and agility.In our last issue, we described in detail how proprioceptive training can improve your coordination and reduce your risk of injury during sporting activity. In this article, we provide you with a specific, simple-to-carry-out, eight-week exercise programme which will upgrade your strength, balance, and agility and reduce your chances of getting hurt at the same time. The programme incorporates both proprioceptive and sport-specific (functional) exercises, and it can be blended very easily with your current training.
Here's what to do:
Weeks 1 & 2
Three times a week, warm up adequately and then perform the following exercises:
(1) One-leg balances. Stand on your left foot with relaxed, upright posture and with your right leg flexed at the knee so that the right foot is off the floor or ground. Your left, weight-bearing leg should be lightly flexed at the knee, hip, and ankle, as they would be when your left foot is on the ground during the act of running. Simply hold this position for one minute, rest for 10 to 20 seconds, and then repeat twice more. After a brief rest, complete three similar reps with your right leg as the weight-bearing limb.
(2) Forward-backward leg swings with knee flexed. Rest for a moment after completing the one-leg balances, and then stand with your weight fully supported on your left leg. Begin by flexing your right hip and raising your right knee up to waist height (so that your right thigh is parallel to the ground), with your right knee flexed to approximately 90 degrees or a little more. Perform this action reasonably quickly so that your leg 'swings up' to this top position - rather than being slowly lifted (if necessary, you may place your right hand on a wall or other support to maintain balance as you do this).
Continue the exercise by swinging your right leg downwards and backwards until your right leg is extended behind your body (as if following through on a running stride). Your right knee should be completely extended at the end of this backswing, eg, your right leg should be nearly straight at the back of the swing - just as it would be after take-off during a sprint stride. Once you have reached full extension, drive your right leg forward, flexing your right knee as you do so, until your right thigh is once again in front of you and parallel with the floor or ground.
Repeat this forward and backward action 30 times while gradually increasing the speed and range of motion of the movement (for those with insecure balance, it sometimes is helpful to start with 'baby swings' in which the thigh does not reach the parallel-with-ground position, nor does full leg extension occur on the backswing). Rest briefly, and then repeat 30 more times with your right leg. Make sure you are sustaining a relaxed posture, with your upper body upright and your gaze directed ahead of you, not at your feet. You should try to achieve the same posture you would utilise during running. If you lose balance and must touch down with your right foot momentarily, relax, support body weight on your left leg again, and resume the exercise.
Finally, be sure to coordinate arm activity with your leg swings. That is, as your right leg swings forward and up, your left arm should also swing ahead, as it would do during running. As your right leg moves backward, your left arm also retreats. Try to keep the overall feeling of the exercise as close to the sensation of running as possible.
Once you have completed two sets of 30 reps with your right leg, carry out the same movements with your left leg.
(3) Forward-backward leg swings with knee extended. After you have completed your forward-backward leg swings with knee flexed on both legs, rest momentarily and then stand with your weight fully supported on your left leg (once again, you may initially place your right hand on a wall or other support to maintain balance). Begin the exercise by flexing your right hip and raising your right knee up to waist height (with right thigh parallel to the ground), but this time extend the lower part of your leg so that your right knee is near fully extended (you will be almost 'straight-legged'). As with the previous exercise, perform this action reasonably quickly so that your leg 'swings up' to this top position rather than being slowly lifted.
Continue the exertion by swinging your right leg downwards and backwards until right hip and leg are extended behind your body (as if following through on a running stride). Your right knee should remain nearly fully extended throughout the entire movement, eg, your leg remains straight at all times. Once again, coordinate leg and arm activity (as right leg moves forward, left arm does also, and so on).
Repeat this back-and-forth action 30 times with as much coordination as you can muster while gradually increasing the speed and range of motion of the movements. Rest, carry out one more set with your right leg, and then repeat the same movements with your left leg (two sets of 30 reps).
(4) Toe walking. Once you have rested from your knee-extended, forward-backward leg swings, walk for 20 metres high up on your toes with your toes pointing straight ahead, walk for 20 metres high up on your toes but with your toes pointing outwards, and then walk for 20 metres with your toes pointing in. When you point your toes out or in, be sure to turn your legs outward or inward from the hips; don't try to achieve all the turning at your ankles.
Rest for a moment and then repeat the straight-ahead, toes-out, and toes-in pattern of toe walking once more (20 metres for each version of toe walking).
(5) Heel walking. Walk for 20 metres on your heels with toes pointing straight ahead, walk 20 metres on your heels with toes pointing out, and then walk 20 metres with toes pointing in. As before, make sure you rotate your legs, not just your ankles, when you complete the toes-out and toes-in versions of this exercise. After a very short rest, complete this routine once more.
(6) Cross-body leg swings. Leaning just slightly forward with your hands on a wall or other support and your weight on your left leg, swing your right leg to the left in front of your body, pointing your toes upwards as your foot reaches its farthest point of motion. Then swing the right leg back to the right as far as comfortably possible, again pointing your toes up as your foot reaches its final point of movement. Repeat this overall motion 15 times with erect body posture and good balance, rest for a few seconds, and then repeat. Complete the same routine - two sets of 15 reps - with your left leg as the 'swing' leg.
'You should be able to complete all the movements with great coordination and excellent speed before moving on to your next challenges'
It is important to note that the above routines - and the ones described in the rest of this article - should be performed after warm-up but before your main training for the day is undertaken. This is because of the high degree of coordination required for the exercises; fatigue will tend to restrict coordination and make the exercises more difficult to perform with good form. Truthfully, one of the best things you can do as an athlete is to warm up, carry out the exercises, and then move right into a high-quality training session. The exercises will in effect 'fire up' your nervous system and make the challenges of your workout easier to handle.
Many athletes will become very comfortable with the above exercises and skilled at carrying them out after six workouts (three per week). Such athletes are ready to move into the week-three-and-four drills described next. However, if you feel you need more work with the above routines, don't hesitate to continue using them until you have gained mastery. You should be able to complete all
the movements with great coordination and excellent speed before moving on to your next challenges.
Weeks 3 & 4
Three times per week, warm up adequately and then perform the following exercises:
(1) Advanced one-leg balances. These are just like the one-leg balances from week one, except that you should swing your arms back and forth vigorously, mimicking the arm action associated with running, as you stand one-footed. Complete the same number of sets and reps you used for regular one-leg balances.
(2) Maximum forward-backward leg swings with knee extended. There's nothing major to learn here; you're simply carrying out the forward-backward leg swings with knee extended which we described previously, but there is one new 'wrinkle'. As your leg swings forward, instead of merely shooting for a parallel-with-the-ground position for your swing leg, try to elevate the swing leg as high as possible as it moves forward (of course, maintain good balance and coordination as you do so; do not let yourself get out of control). Think of yourself as punting a rugby ball and trying to achieve the maximum-possible follow-through.
Complete two sets of 30 reps with each leg, unless your hams and/or glutes begin to complain vigorously.
Tip: as before, start with little swings and gradually expand the swinging action until you are achieving maximal height with the forward foot (of course, don't start the rep count until you have accomplished max status).
(3) Toe walking. As before, but now pick up the pace.
(4) Heel walking. Use the earlier moves, but walk very quickly.
(5) One-leg squats. Stand with your left foot forward and your right foot back, with your feet roughly one shin-length apart (they should be hip-width apart from side to side). Place the toes of your right foot on a block or step which is six to eight inches high. All of your weight should be directed through the mid-foot region of your left foot. Now, bend your left leg at the knee and lower your body until your left knee reaches an angle of about 90 degrees between the thigh and lower leg. As you carry out this squat, your right arm should swing forward. Then, return to the starting position, maintaining upright posture with your trunk and returning your right arm to your side.
Complete 15 reps, rest for a moment, and then hit 15 more reps with your left leg. After another brief rest, complete two sets of 15 reps with your right foot forward and your left foot back. If you can carry these out with no problems, begin holding dumbbells in your hands as you do the squatting (eliminate the arm motion if you do this). Begin with five-pound 'bells' and work your way up gradually and progressively.
(6) Runners' poses. To do these, stand relaxed with erect body posture, with your feet roughly under your shoulders. Then, swing your right thigh ahead and upward until it is parallel with the floor (your leg should be flexed at the knee as you do this, so that the lower part of the leg should be pointing almost directly at the ground, ie, it should be nearly perpendicular with the ground); as you swing your thigh ahead and up, simultaneously bring your left arm forward, as you would do during a normal running stride).
Hold this position for a couple of seconds, while maintaining relaxed stability and balance, and then bring your right foot back to the ground and your left arm back to a relaxed position at your side (that completes one 'pose'). Perform 14 more pose reps with your right thigh, and then switch over to the left leg for 15 poses. As you get better at doing this exercise, gradually speed up the thigh-lift movement and also elevate the thigh beyond the parallel-with-the-ground position (so that the exercise eventually becomes a high-knee-lift pose).
(7) Bicycle leg swings without resistance. Stand with your weight fully supported on your left leg (you may place your right hand on a wall or other support to maintain balance). Then, flex your right hip and raise your right knee up to waist height (your right thigh should be parallel with the ground); as you do this, your right knee should be flexed to 90 degrees or more. Once your thigh is parallel to the ground, begin to extend your right knee (swing the lower part of your right leg forward, unflexing the knee) until your knee is nearly fully extended (eg, your leg is nearly straight), with your right thigh still parallel to the ground.
As your right knee nears full extension, allow your right thigh to drop downwards and backwards until the entire thigh and leg are extended behind your body (as if following through on a running stride). Your right knee should be near full extension (your leg should be straight) until it reaches the peak of the backswing. As your right hip nears full extension (eg, as you approach the end of the backswing), raise your right heel by bending your right knee; your heel should move closely towards your buttocks as you do this. As this happens, move your right knee forward until it returns to the appropriate position in front of your body, with your right thigh parallel to the ground.
Repeat this entire sequence of actions in a smooth manner such that the hip and leg move though a continuous arc without stopping or pausing. Once you are able to coordinate the movement, strive to perform the swings at a cadence of at least 12 swings every ten seconds (slightly faster than one swing per second). Complete two sets of 50 reps per leg.
As before, do not move on to the next series of exercises (in this case the ones for weeks five and six) until you have gained great mastery of the above exertions. All exercises should be completed with speed and skill.
Weeks 5 & 6
Three times per week, warm up adequately and then perform the following exercises:
(1) 'Blind' advanced one-leg balances. These are just like the one-leg balances from weeks one and two, except that you must keep your eyes completely closed as you perform the routine. Closing your eyes removes the strong, balance-enhancing input from your visual system and forces your nervous system to rely more heavily on your vestibular and somatosensory systems to produce balance; it's a bit like forcing them to lift more weight! During week five, don't worry about pumping your arms back and forth in a running-like fashion, but - if possible - add the arm pumping during the three workouts of week six.
(2) Bicycle leg swings with resistance. Securely attach a flexible 'stretch cord' at about knee height to a post or other object approximately three feet in front of you, and fasten the other end to your right ankle. Stand on your left foot, and carry out the bicycle leg swings with your right leg, as described in weeks three and four (exercise number seven). You may have to tinker a bit with your distance from the post; you should be far enough away so that the cord accelerates your swing leg as it moves forward and resists reverse motion of the leg during the backward swing. Start slowly, working on developing good, smooth form in spite of the pull and resistance provided by the stretch cord. Stay relaxed at all times, and keep your eyes focused straight ahead - not on the ground or the 'cycling' of your leg beneath you. Perform two sets of 50 reps with your right leg and then two sets of 50 with your left.
(3) Partial squats. Stand with your left foot directly under your left shoulder, keeping your left knee just slightly flexed and maintaining relaxed, fairly erect posture. Hold a barbell (initially with no weight attached) so that it rests on the top-back of your shoulders just behind your neck; you may incline your upper body just slightly forward for balance. Most of your body weight should be directed through the heel to mid-portion of your left foot. Your right leg should be flexed at the knee so that the foot is not touching the ground at all - your right foot is literally suspended in air (however, you may occasionally need to 'spot-touch' the floor for balance with your trailing leg).
From this position, if you were carrying out a traditional one-leg squat you would ordinarily bend your left leg at the knee and lower your body until your left knee reached an angle of about 90 degrees between the backs of your thigh and lower leg (usually at this point your thigh would be almost parallel with the ground). However, for the partial squat you should just go down about half-way - so that the angle between the back of your thigh and lower leg is just 135 degrees or so. Then, return to the starting position, maintaining upright posture with your trunk. That's one rep!
Continue in the manner described above until you have completed 10 reps (10 partial squats). Then - without resting - descend into the 11th partial squat, but instead of rising back up hold the partial-squat position (the 135-degree position) for 10 full seconds. We'll call your body alignment during this 10-second period the 'static-hold' position.
After completing 10 seconds in the static-hold position, immediately - without resting - rattle off 10 more reps, maintain the static hold for 10 seconds again, hit 10 more reps, and then hold statically for 10 more seconds.
Here is a summary of the overall sequence:
(1) 10 partial squats
(2) 10 seconds of holding your leg and body in the down position
(3) 10 partial squats
(4) 10 seconds of holding
(5) 10 partial squats
(6) 10 seconds of holding
After completing this series with your left leg, do the same with your right. If you can complete the entire sequence with each leg, add 10 pounds to the barbell for your subsequent workout. Keep adding 10 pounds, as long as you can complete the entire series on each leg. If you fail at any time during the sequence, continue using the weight which caused failure until you can complete the whole run-through with each leg, and then advance the weight for the next workout.
(4) Toe skipping. This is just like toe walking, but you must skip on your toes (again with toes pointing ahead, out, and in), instead of walking.
(5) Heel skipping. In this challenging exertion, which happens to be a great shin-splint preventer, you simply skip on your heels, instead of walking on them, going 20 metres or so with toes ahead, 20 metres with toes out, and the same distance with toes in. Initially, use a very forgiving surface such as sand, soft grass, soft dirt, or a 'tuned' basketball court.
(6) High-bench step-ups. Begin from a standing position on top of a knee-high bench or step, with your body weight on your left foot and your weight shifted slightly toward your left heel. Your right foot should be free and held slightly behind the body, dangling just below the back edge of the bench or step. Lower your body in a controlled manner until the toes of your right foot lightly touch the ground, but continue to maintain all of your weight on your left foot. Then, simultaneously exert force on the platform with your left foot, flex your right leg at the knee, and drive your right leg up and forward, so that your right thigh is parallel with the surface of the bench (the position is similar to the one you achieved while doing the 'runners' poses').
As your right leg swings up and forward, synchronously swing your left arm forward, as you would do during running. Hold the 'up' position for a moment, and then drop your right leg in a smooth fashion until the right toe once again touches the ground (your left arm will return to your side). Complete 12 repeats total with your left leg, and then switch over to the right. Maintain absolutely upright posture with your trunk throughout this entire movement - try to avoid the temptation to lean forward as your trailing leg moves toward the floor.
Weeks 7 & 8
Three times per week, warm up adequately and then perform the following exercises:
(1) One-leg balances on a rocker board. Carry out the one-leg balances, as described previously, on a rocker board (a balance board, aka ankle disk, which provides instability in only one plane of motion). At first, do not swing your arms or close your eyes while performing the exercise. Complete one minute of balancing on your left foot with the rocker board set for front-to-back instability, and then perform one minute of balancing with the board providing side-to-side instability. Repeat on the right foot, maintaining good posture at all times. If you momentarily lose your balance, simply touch the ground with the non-weight-bearing foot to regain balance and resume the exercise. Once you have mastered the rocker board, you should progress to a wobble board (a balance board with instability in all planes of motion).
(2) Partial squats. This is the same exercise described above; continue adding weight, as indicated in the exercise description.
(3) One-footed heel raises. Stand with relaxed, erect posture, with all your body weight supported on your right foot (your left leg should be flexed at the knee so that your left shin is roughly parallel with the ground and your left foot is off the ground). The hip, knee, and ankle of the right leg should be slightly flexed. Then, contract your right calf muscles as strongly as possible, so that your right heel rises vertically and you rock forward onto your right toes. Hold this tip-toe position for a second or two (all of your body weight should be supported by the toes and forefoot of your right foot). Then, let your right heel return to the ground smoothly and with moderate speed. Once your right foot hits the ground, instantly 'explode' upward, rocketing back up to the tip-toe stance. Again, hold the weight-on-toes position for a second or two, and then continue the described movements. As you do the exercise, move rhythmically and without hesitation (except at the tip-toe position), and try to maintain good balance, posture, and stability at all times (initially, you may touch a wall, fence, or other structure for support if you are having trouble with your balance). After completing 15 repetitions on your right foot, perform 15 reps with your left, move back to your right for 15 more reps, and finish with 15 exertions on your left foot. At first, you should perform this exercise on a level surface, but as your skill improves you will want to carry out your one-footed heel raises on an inclined surface (start modestly and progressively make the inclination more challenging).
(4) Rocker-board lunges. Stand with relaxed, erect posture on a platform, step, or curb which is about four to six inches in height. While supporting full body weight on your left foot, step forward about 12 to 15 inches with your right foot onto a rocker board which is positioned on the ground or floor in front of you and the platform. When your right foot 'hits' the rocker board, shift full body weight to the right foot, and go into a squatting position, flexing your right knee to about a 90-degree angle while keeping your upper body relaxed and upright. Hold this position very briefly while keeping the rocker board stable, and then rock back to the beginning, standing position, driving your body backward by applying force to the rocker board with your right foot.
Carry out a total of 15 reps with your right foot, and then complete 15 lunges in similar manner with your left, using front-to-back instability with the rocker board. After a brief break, complete 15 reps with each leg using side-to-side instability with the rocker board. Once you are an accomplished rocker-board lunger, you will want to replace the rocker board with a wobble board.
(5) One-leg balances with perturbations. Stand with full body weight supported on your left leg only, as you would do with a normal one-leg balance. However, for this exercise you should run a short stretch cord between the shin of your left leg (attached just below the knee) over to the shin of your right leg. As you stand perched on your left foot only, 'perturb' your balance by swinging your right leg backwards and forwards, so that the cord pulls strongly on your left, support leg. After 20 front-to-back swings with your right leg, complete 20 side-to-side swings with the same leg, so that your left, support leg must deal with lateral instability.
Finally, complete the exercise with 40 diagonal swings with your right leg; 20 of these will be completed in a 'northwest' direction, and 20 will be accomplished to the 'northeast' (not literally, of course; to picture these, simply think of your straight-ahead position as being true north; thus 'northeast' would be at about 45 degrees, halfway between straight-ahead and directly to your right). Once these swings are completed, carry out the same movements with your right leg as the support limb. Over time, increase the difficulty of the exercise by performing the swings while standing on a gymnastics mat or plush carpet.
(6) One-leg squats with lateral hops using the balance board. These are a bit like one-leg squats, except that the support foot is perched on a rocker board (the rear foot is lightly placed on a bench, step, or chair, as before). Once the knee of the leg in contact with the balance board reaches an angle of 90 degrees between the thigh and lower leg, you should hop laterally off the balance board (with your front foot; the back foot stays in place). When your foot hits the ground in a position lateral to the board, you should squat to 90 degrees and then hop back to the 'centre' position on the board. Squat again on the board, and then hop medially off the board (to the right if your left foot is on the board, to the left if your right foot is in board contact). When your foot hits the ground in the medial position, squat and then come back to the centre position and re-establish your starting, standing posture. That's one rep! Perform 10 reps with your left leg forward (remember that a rep has an initial central squat, a lateral hop and squat, a second central squat, a medial hop and squat, and then a return to centre), and then 10 reps with your right leg forward. Rest for a moment and repeat. You can make the exercise more difficult over time by replacing the rocker board with a wobble board.
Once you have completed the whole programme, you may start over, cycling back through the exercises and spending extra time on any which give you difficulty. It is best to start the overall programme toward the end of your 'off-season' or break period, just before your regular training season or year begins. However, if you have not carried out this kind of work before, it is OK to start the programme at any point in your training cycle. You will get positive results even if you are only able to complete the first few weeks of the scheme before your major competition occurs! The positives include better balance, greater strength - and an enhanced resistance to injury.
Training for Proprioception & Function
Training for Proprioception & FunctionProprioceptive movements in your classes and training sessions
can enhance your clients' body awareness and movement efficiency.
By Suzanne Nottingham
Of a handful of terms recently used in the fitness industry, proprioception and kinesthetic awareness are the most widely recognized in relation to body awareness. Understanding how movement affects efficiency can lead to understanding how the body communicates with itself. The strong influence of yoga, martial-arts-based programs and other whole-body programs has swung the door open for more program possibilities. With the new emphasis on creating a connection between mind, body, spirit and emotion, body awareness represents the next frontier of movement education.
What is proprioception?
Proprioception is an automatic sensitivity mechanism in the body that sends messages through the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS then relays information to rest of the body about how to react and with what amount of tension. Human beings "train" for proprioception in the quest for efficient everyday movements. Proprioception is unconscious initially, but can be enhanced with training, according to Greg Niederlander, an exercise physiologist. Specialized sensory receptors in the muscles, joints and connective tissues enable the body to process information from a variety of stimuli, and turn that information into action.
"Through conscious appreciation and cognitive processing of the body's position in space, the central nervous system and sensory receptors can be conditioned to be more responsive to length and tension in the muscles and tendons," says Niederlander. Additionally, the skin, palms of the hands, soles of the feet and other senses collaborate to communicate with the brain about muscle tension, weight shifts, load and range of motion.
"There is a fine line between proprioception and kinesthetic awareness," says Paul Chek, founder of the CHEK Institute in Encinitas, Calif. "Improving one often improves the other. For example, performing any functional exercise that requires you [to] maintain your center of gravity over your base of support will contribute to improvement of kinesthetic awareness (a sense of one's whole body), as well as proprioception." Chek uses an example of skiing at high speed, which requires reflexive movement intelligence: "When skiing down a mountain at high speed, all at once you must be able to sense the position of your limbs relative to the rest of your body, the position of your body relative to the earth and gravity, and interaction with the skis and terrain." Your body automatically coordinates with stimuli obtained from the immediate experience and turns them into physical action.
Movement intelligence & proprioceptive trace
The key to creating what Chek refers to as movement intelligence involves clients becoming consciously aware of their movements, and of the information their bodies are absorbing. To do this, stimuli is created to elicit a movement reaction through a variety of tasks or exercises. As skill improves, more stimuli are needed to continue improvement. This type of exercise planning involves integration of the mind and body, combining balance, strength and quickness. The result is clients' heightened ability to make spur-of-the-moment decisions about what their capabilities are in any given situation.
A common example of loss of proprioception can be seen in any athlete who is required to use the arms and shoulders with precision, such as shooters, boxers, throwers (baseball), archers, and even people who throw darts in the bar or shoot pool, says Chek. For instance, he says, "After an injury to the shoulder joint, I have seen many people complain of a loss of accuracy and performance, which I have corrected using exercises to improve proprioception."
Have your clients try this: With both arms, pick up a chair and feel its weight. Pick it up and set it down about 10 times. Then, pick up another chair that looks the same but is lighter. They'll immediately notice how the body's 'memory' for tension kicks in. The body expected to pick up the same weight, but didn't.
Proprioceptive trace is an after-effect of the immediate proprioceptive experience. In this situation, the body's memory kicks in to produce a certain predictable amount of force/effort and doesn't need it. For instance, if you've ever gone backpacking with 40 pounds of weight, then removed your pack, you'll remember feeling feather-light. For seasoned backpackers, the load does not impose much demand; therefore, they experience much less proprioceptive trace.
Have your clients try this: Run or walk on a treadmill for a lengthy period of time. Step off, and they'll experience a surreal floating sensation as they continue to walk.
Proprioceptive adaptation
Activities that require balance, coordination, agility and power, and movements that challenge clients' normal range of motion, are great ways to cross-train for proprioceptive adaptation.
Balance. Balance is the body's ability to right itself. It is improved with proprioceptive feedback.
Strength. The core strength of the abdominal, back and gluteal muscles is the foundation from which all movement originates. Strength is the catalyst of postural endurance -- the ability to maintain core stabilization, balance and control.
Quickness. If your clients have ever tripped and didn't recover their balance, perhaps it was because they weren't physically quick enough to pull off a recovery. They can improve their proprioceptive abilities by challenging their bodies to be more reactive. The goal for training is to shorten the amount of time that it takes to mentally react, and to physically move to accomplish the task. The ability to move more quickly and powerfully stimulates more accurate transmission of instructions from the nervous system to the working muscles, and recoveries can happen with less effort.
Challenge your clients' bodies
Constantly repositioning the body keeps it naturally aware of its surroundings. The movements aren't necessarily planned, and success is based on stabilization, control and trials, not necessarily reps and sets. Keep in mind that some of the most effective training for body awareness takes place in more frequent, quicker exposures to challenging activities, rather than long durations of "practice." Create situations for your clients in which they can enhance their ability to sense body positions and speed of movement relative to a fixed point, such as a foot or hand. A good example is the classic drunk-driving test where you must touch your nose with your head tilted back and your eyes closed.
Have your clients try these:
* From a hands-and-knees or standing position, manually help a client achieve a specific degree of anterior or posterior pelvic tilt, recommends Chek. Then have the client return to a natural standing posture and close the eyes. From there, have them return to the target position.
* Niederlander suggests using a wobble board to challenge proprioception. Perform two-legged half squats. The body's reactions to recover balance will produce movement oscillation through the sagital, frontal and transverse planes. Count the number of times the edges of the wobble board touch the floor while performing 10 repetitions. Fewer touches indicate improvement.
* Kneel on all fours to perform an opposite arm/leg raise with a round dowel running along the length of the spine. Count the number of times that the dowel comes off-center while performing five opposite arm/leg raises with each side of the body; perform 10 total exercise repetitions. Fewer off-center dowel movements indicate improvement.
Chek also suggests that, by reducing vision with any exercise and/or by using exercises that require increased positional sense, such as with balance boards or exercise balls, you can create nearly any type of proprioceptive training situation.
Enhancing proprioceptive quality & adaptation:
The following exercises and body systems have an effect on proprioceptive awareness.
* Movement for movement's sake in any variety of movement patterns and ranges of motion with different tensions/loads (i.e., dancing, tai chi, yoga).
* Traditional cardio, strength and flexibility conditioning.
* Balance conditioning, eyes open and closed.
* Rotational movements (not just linear and lateral).
* Visual acuity: Use vision to adjust movements when recovering balance. Instead of focusing downward, look ahead to realign the head and neck.
* Auditory system: The inner ear registers head and body movement like a built-in level. To function properly, the head and neck must be situated over a balanced spine.
* Rhythm: Heart beat, breathing patterns and even walking are rhythmic by nature. Have clients strive to feel rhythm during sports and as they work out.
* Stance: Movements should be initiated from an "athletic stance" (ankles, knees and hips slightly flexed) and an upright posture. Stance is also referred to as the clients' "base of support," or the distance created between their feet.
* Weight transfer: Bodies are especially sensitive to weight changes that take place with stance or postural shifts. Clients will feel weight transfer from the feet upward.
* Constant motion: Have clients get a feel for constant, dynamic movements (versus static positions) as they try the drills mentioned in this article.
FROM: FITNESS MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE--A PUBLICATION DIRECTED TO
FITNESS/HEALTH/ATHLETIC CLUBS AND FACILITIES Sensorimotor reorganization by proprioceptive training in musician's dystonia and writer's cramp.
Rosenkranz K, Butler K, Williamon A, Cordivari C, Lees AJ, Rothwell JC.
Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, 8-11 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. [email]k.rosenkranz@ion.ucl.ac.uk[/email]
OBJECTIVE: The sensorimotor organization (SMO) of the motor hand area is abnormal in focal hand dystonia and likely contributes to symptom manifestation. In healthy subjects SMO is changed by training with proprioceptive stimulation. Here we test whether similar interventions reverse the abnormal SMO in musician's dystonia and writer's cramp. If so, they could be developed for therapeutic application. METHODS: In six non-musicians, six professional musicians, six patients with musician's dystonia, and six patients with writer's cramp, SMO was explored by measuring changes in short-interval-intracortical-inhibition (SICI) during short periods of hand muscle vibration before and after two training types: AttVIB, involving attention to 15 minutes vibration of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB); and AttIndex, involving attention to subtle cutaneous stimulation of the index finger. RESULTS: In healthy non-musicians, baseline SMO is spatially differentiated: SICI is reduced in projections to the vibrated, but enhanced to the non-vibrated muscles. Here AttVIB increased and AttIndex reduced the effect of subsequent APB-vibration on SMO. In healthy musicians, baseline SMO is less differentiated. AttVIB reinstated a more differential SMO pattern while AttIndex attenuated the effect of APB vibration. In focal hand dystonia, SMO is completely dedifferentiated. AttVIB tended to restore a more differential SMO in musician's dystonia but not in writer's cramp while AttIndex failed to induce any changes in both groups. CONCLUSION: The intervention effect depends on the pre-interventional sensorimotor organization (SMO). In focal hand dystonia, particularly in musician's dystonia, it is possible to retrain an abnormal SMO toward a more differential pattern, which has potential implications for therapy. Sensory-specific balance training in older adults: effect on proprioceptive reintegration and cognitive demands.
Westlake KP, Culham EG.
Rehabilitation Research and Development Center, VA Palo Alto HCC, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. [email]westlake@rrd.stanford.edu[/email]
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Age-related changes in the ability to adjust to alterations in sensory information contribute to impaired postural stability. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate the effect of sensory-specific balance training on proprioceptive reintegration. SUBJECTS: The subjects of this study were 36 older participants who were healthy. METHODS: Participants were randomly assigned to a balance exercise group (n=17) or a falls prevention education group (n=19). The primary outcome measure was the center-of-pressure (COP) velocity change score. This score represented the difference between COP velocity over 45 seconds of quiet standing and each of six 5-second intervals following proprioceptive perturbation through vibration with or without a secondary cognitive task. Clinical outcome measures included the Fullerton Advanced Balance (FAB) Scale and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale. Assessments were conducted at baseline, postintervention, and at an 8-week follow-up. RESULTS: Following the exercise intervention, there was less destabilization within the first 5 seconds following vibration with or without a secondary task than there was at baseline or in the falls prevention education group. These training effects were not maintained at the 8-week follow-up. Postintervention improvements also were seen on the FAB Scale and were maintained at follow-up. No changes in ABC Scale scores were identified in the balance exercise group, but ABC Scale scores indicated reduced balance confidence in the falls prevention education group postintervention. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results of this study support short-term enhanced postural responses to proprioceptive reintegration following a sensory-specific balance exercise program. [Influence of proprioceptive training in the improvement of neuromuscular performance after ACL reconstruction]
[Article in Serbian]
Dubljanin-Raspopović E, Matanović D, Kadija M.
ACL injury leads to a decrease in proprioceptive abilities, which can be improved with ACL surgery and postoperative rehabilitation. The goal of our study was to investigate whether the impact of coordinative training can be differentiated from the influence of surgery on proprioceptive improvement, and whether there is a correlation between improvement in coordinative abilities and other objective parameters of functional recovery. This follow-up study included 45 patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction and who were randomised into a conservative (TH-C) and an intensive (TH-I) rehabilitation group. In the TH-I group, coordinative training began earlier due to unrestricted weight-bearing. The groups were first compared preoperatively, then postoperatively, after 6 weeks, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months via the single leg stance test, the one leg hop test, the Lysholm knee score, and the Tegner score. A faster recovery of coordinative skills was registered in the TH-I group. Already after 6 weeks, highly statistically significant progress in one leg stance abilities was noticed, while in the TH-C group the same was not noticed until 4 months after surgery (p < 0.01). Such a result speaks for the distinct influence of proprioceptive training on coordinative abilities. Also, a highly statistically significant correlation was noticed between the single leg stance, one leg hop, Lysholm, and Tegner tests (p < 0.01), which points out the importance of a good rehabilitation programme, since neuromuscular performance cannot be separated from other parameters of functional recovery. Proprioceptive Training: A key to sports success
Form:infook.net By:John D Moore Added:
by: John D Moore
Lets talk a little bit about proprioception for a minute. Thats a $3 SAT word that means your bodys ability to react properly to external forces. For example: if you ride bulls for fun, you must have the ability to react to gravity and the changing forces of the bull to keep from being thrown off. Thats proprioception. But proprioception is also your ability to walk across a room without falling down.
One of the main components of proprioception is your kinesthetic sense. That is your ability to sense where your body is in space. But thats only one component unless your sport happens to involve standing or lying in space.
You must also be able to sense and control your bodys movements. Think of a gymnast showing perfect control as she throws herself about the parallel bars. The key here is the appropriate control of tension by your central nervous system.
Balance is also a key element to proprioception. You will not perform your sport very well if you fall down all the time. Balance is also a key to generating power as any martial artist will tell you. Balance in movement as occurs in walking or running, is a process of constantly and consciously losing your balance and regaining it quickly. The quicker you can regain your balance, the safer your movement.
Deliberate Proprioceptive training has normally been reserved for people who are in rehabilitation from injuries. Sports injuries in particular can leave decreased performance in the mechanoreceptors in the body. Exercises for balance and greater kinesthetic sense are usually prescribed.
The benefits of proprioceptive training to the healthy athlete are many. With increased balance athletes are less prone to injury. Athletes may also become quicker in athletic terms this mean they can change direction faster. Proprioceptive training helps them make more precise movements with less effort. Think about the martial artist throwing that jumping spinning wazzu butterfly kick now thats proprioception.
So, the benefits break down to safer, more efficient, quicker, and more precise movement. What athlete wouldnt want that?
To be fair, any type of training you do is already working your proprioception unless you are training for the sleep Olympics. Playing you sport itself is a functional integration of your proprioceptive skills. However, you may want to spend some time focusing on proprioceptive training to increase proprioception, then integrate that into your sport.
Like any kind of training, proprioceptive training should be challenging. This forces an adaptive response on your bodys central nervous system. This is much like lifting weights where most of the strength gains come from the nervous system and not from increasing muscle size. If all you ever do is lift light weights that arent challenging for you you arent going to get much stronger.
So, I can hear you asking, what exercises can I do for proprioceptive training?
Thats a great question. Let me tell you that there is an astounding array of exercises designed to increase proprioception. You know those big rubber stability balls that every gym has these days? Those are great for proprioception. There are also wobble boards, Styrofoam doo-hickies, and all sorts of crazy wobbly things designed to challenge your balance and core strength.
Certain yoga exercises are also designed to challenge balance, as are some forms of kettlebell lifting. To get some sport-specific proprioceptive training I suggest you check with a qualified fitness instructor.
This article was posted on April 01, 2003 的确很重要，特别对于运动损伤后的康复阶段，本体感觉的训练的开始时间等一系列问题对于以后的功能恢复很重要。
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