The Pilates Rx & Proprioception: How to train your body’s internal GPS
Every day, we step over curbs, catch our balance, or reach for a glass of water often without thinking twice about it. But what is really behind these seemingly innate movements? It is something that few people are actually aware of: proprioception. Otherwise known as the body’s internal GPS, proprioception is what allows us to move with coordination, control and confidence.
At the Pilates Rx, we are not just strengthening muscles, we’re training awareness, precision, and body control to enhance overall proprioception.
What is proprioception and what happens if we lose it:
Imagine walking through a dark room and still knowing exactly where to place your feet. Or, quickly turning your head to dodge a ball flying in your direction. That’s not luck or magic, it's actually proprioception in action.
Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense its position and movement in space. This system is powered by specialized receptors in your muscles, tendons, joints and skin. These receptors constantly send information to your brain about things like joint angles, muscle tension, movement speed, and spatial orientation. This allows you to move, adjust, and react without consciously thinking about it.
While proprioception is partially hardwired into our nervous system, it isn’t fixed and it can fade over time. Injury, surgery, and the natural aging process can all disrupt proprioceptive feedback. That's why many people struggle with balance after an ankle sprain or feel uncoordinated following ACL reconstruction. Movements that once felt automatic can suddenly feel off. The good news is that proprioception is adaptable. Just like memory and strength can be retrained.
Why training proprioception matters:
At the Pilates Rx, we believe that developing your movement IQ, otherwise known as your body’s intuitive understanding of how it moves in space, is just as essential as building strength. Proprioceptive training helps you reconnect with your body on a deeper level, enhancing coordination, balance, and control. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, aiming to improve stability, or simply wanting to move through lift with more confidence as you age, incorporating Pilates into your movement routine offers a proactive research backed approach. It’s not just about moving, it’s about moving well and by training the brain-body connection, you can lay the foundation for smarter, safer and more resilient movement in everything you do.
4 ways the Pilates Rx strengthens proprioception:
Slow movement: HIIT workouts are great for our cardiovascular health but they often lack proprioceptive refinement in favor of momentum. Pilates slows movements down so that the body and brain communicate clearly. Each repetition in pilates becomes a feedback loop to train your proprioception effectively. You mindfully sense the tension of your muscles, the position of your spine and the distribution of weight through your feet when they are the bar of the reformer. This sensory involvement is what trains the nervous system to enhance proprioceptive feedback.
Instability challenge: You may not realize it at the moment but there is a reason we use unstable surfaces like the reformer, the chair, and the ladder barrel throughout our sessions at the Pilates Rx. This is strategic to add subtle unpredictability to the session as the nervous system thrives on challenge. When your body is slightly off balance but still feels safe it must recruit stabilizers and react in real time. Over time the micro-adjustments you make are making your proprioceptive ability stronger.
Unilateral movements: Whenever you catch yourself thinking, “Ugh, do I really have to do this one leg at a time?”, this is your reminder of why it matters. Pilates exercises incorporate unilateral movements like single leg bridges on the reformer or single leg pumps on the chair. These exercises challenge each side of the body to work independently, rather than letting the strong or more dominant side take over. This kind of training is essential for developing proprioception as it builds symmetry and sharpens coordination. It also helps your body learn to respond more intelligently to real life situations like catching yourself when you stumble.
Verbal and tactile cues: When we use hands on adjustments or precise language that draws attention to disconnected areas, we are using these external cues to tap into your internal sensations. “Lengthening through the crown of your head” or “wheeling your tailbone under” are cues that stimulate specific adjustments that the nervous system begins to adopt more naturally over time.
Interested in learning how The Pilates Rx can help you train proprioception?
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