Balance and proprioception is our body’s ability to stay safely up right when walking, basically keeping us stable and preventing us from injuries. This is a complex process of communication input between the muscles and joints nervous system and the brain.
Why it is important?
Injuries and the normal aging process can affect our balance and proprioception which can in turn predispose us to further injuries and unsafe situations when moving. This is extremely important in hiking/walking, as there can be uneven surfaces, unexpected objects on the trail and up or down hill walking that you may face.
Can this be regained and how can I retain this?
The human body is phenomenal, it can adapt to different circumstances and overall can re-build balance and proprioception in response to certain stimulus. We get this through retraining and regaining experiences and is called functional neuroplasticity. Even after a traumatic injury to the body, we can almost always rebuild these pathways in the body to increase our overall stability.
Read our next blog about ‘3 exercise tips for better balance’