most important thing is to learn listening to your body, that's proprioception about, and all physical activities focused on that (feeling your body and moving it with control) makes a good work. Thai chi and most martial arts, Yoga, Pilates. Search your own activity and start understanding your body.

JM_Personal trainer

I have stiffening episodes where, like the other day, from the bottom of my ribs everything started tightening and wanting to stretch as I was walking.

I use crutches so I stopped and that stiffening went right down the rest of my back and both legs to the bottom of my feet. I could not move and the only part of me I felt was where the stiffening started. I had no clue I had legs. I could see them but not feel them. I was sort of laid back into a wheelchair, not being able to bend at the waist.

I had my eyes closed and the next thing I heard my foot hit the floor. I never knew someone had picked up my leg and just dropped it. It is a very weird feeling. It lasted about a half an hour or so.

I'm on crutches due to foot drop. After breaking my foot on my last fall, I was told to stay on crutches. That was six years ago. Meantime I've had three surgeries on my right foot with a fourth coming up soon. I have muscle weakness in both legs - can't imagine why!

Another good strategy for improving proprioception is to spend more time going barefoot.

I live and teach martial arts on an island here in Thailand. Since most students are focused on the beach life, they also put away the clunky shoes and opt for flip flops, which leads to more time on your feet the way you were intended to walk. We teach all our martial art classes outside and barefoot on the grass which also helps one to develop proprioception, as we are teaching very specific skills that require more than just walking.

You also might want to try shoes that are closer to just going barefoot and many runners are now converting to what are called barefoot running shoes, which have been documented to aid in strengthening the feet and legs as well as alleviate back pack and decreasing chance of injury. R. Tew

I have been trying to explain this condition to doctors for years, as I keep falling over anything that gets in the way of me picking up my right foot and stepping over it.

This started after I severely shattered my right foot and have had 12 surgeries in 10 years on it. I also have very severe lower back and bilateral leg pains.

If my little dog walks in front of me, instead of stepping over him like a normal person would, I think I am going to step over him but then my leg doesn't come up and I end up falling over him. Now I can put a name to this condition and have the docs check it out! Thank God for these internet sites!

I keep falling and doctors have not been able to pinpoint why. I have had MRIs and other tests but nothing is evident. I feel like my left foot drops slightly and my left leg seems weaker. But doctors seem to think I am imagining things. It is making me quite depressed.

Cerebral palsy/spacity seems to affect our sense of proprioception. Soft stretching exercises seem to help in regaining this sense.

My proprioception is on the fritz due to M.S. Did Tai Chi in the past so will try again.

As with other senses, hearing, seeing and others, we slowly start loosing them as the years go by. However, good thing about proprioception is that we can work on slowing down the loss.

For instance tai chi is good to keep us aware and in control of our body, so does standing on one foot, sort of like a flamingo. These practices strengthen the muscle and keep us better able to control them.