Position sense for runners – What it is, why it matters, and how to improve it
- Maryke Louw
- 5 days ago
- 9 min read
Position sense (proprioception) plays a bigger role in injury prevention than most runners realise. It affects how well your brain controls your legs while you run – and when it's not working as it should, it can increase your risk of sprains, strains, and other common running injuries. The good news? It's easy to train, and a few simple exercises can make a real difference.
Remember, if you need help with an injury, you're welcome to consult one of our physios online via video call.
In this article:
What is position sense?
Position sense – also called proprioception – is your brain’s ability to know exactly where every part of your body is and how it’s moving, without you having to look at it. Your brain then uses that information to work out where to place each body part next and how much force each muscle needs to produce.
👉 Here’s a quick way to experience it for yourself: Close your eyes and slowly point your toes down, then pull them back up, then turn your foot in and out. Notice how you can almost “see” your ankle moving in your mind’s eye? That’s position sense at work.
Your skin, muscles, tendons, and joints all contain tiny receptors (sensors) that constantly send information back to your brain. Your brain combines this information with that from your eyes and ears (vestibular system) to calculate exactly how to perform the next movement – for example, how far to step or how much to tense your muscles – without you needing to look at your feet.
💡 It’s position sense that allows you to run up stairs without looking at your feet, or navigate a rocky trail without tripping over every stone.
A good example of what happens when the brain gets it slightly wrong is when you step off a kerb that’s higher than you expected and stumble. Your brain miscalculated the distance, and it took a moment to catch up.
An example of extremely good position sense? Someone who can balance and walk on a tightrope. To do that, the brain has to be acutely aware of where every joint and body part is and precisely calculate how much to tense every muscle to keep the body perfectly balanced.
Why position sense matters for runners
Research has shown that people who score low on position sense tests in their trunks and legs may be more likely to sustain a wide variety of lower limb injuries – including things like ACL tears, ankle sprains, and hamstring tears.
💡 The explanation for this is fairly straightforward. If your brain doesn’t know exactly where your body parts are, it can’t produce well-coordinated movements. This means you can easily overload specific joints, ligaments, and muscles – which can lead to strains and tears.
This is especially relevant for runners. Every time your foot hits the ground, your brain has to rapidly process where your ankle, knee, and hip are and adjust the muscle contractions accordingly. If that information is off, it can change how forces travel through your leg.
A common example we see in our clinic is runners who report that they often roll their ankles, even on even terrain. This isn’t just bad luck – it’s often related to reduced position sense. The good news is that it responds really well to training. (Find help with recurring ankle sprains here.)
What can reduce your position sense?
For good position sense, you need both parts of the system to work properly:
The receptors (or sensors) in your skin, muscles, tendons, and joints as well as your vestibular system (inner ear) and eyes must work properly.
Your brain must be able to interpret the signals those receptors send and respond appropriately.
Let's put the ears and eyes to one side for a moment and focus only on the factors that can reduce your position sense by affecting your body sensors and messages to the brain:
Injury
When you get injured, the communication between the injured body part and your brain gets a bit muddled. Your brain temporarily loses its ability to know exactly where that body part is and how to control it precisely.
It’s quite easy to retrain, but unfortunately this step often gets neglected during rehab. A good example is someone who’s gone over on their ankle and then finds they keep rolling it again – even on even terrain. Some simple proprioception exercises (like the ones I share below) can often make a big difference.
Disuse
Your brain has a habit of moving its attention away from a part of the body that isn't used for a long period. This is part of the brain's survival strategy - it doesn't waste energy on things you don't seem to use.
If you’ve ever had a body part in a cast or splint, you’ll know how clumsy it feels afterwards. That’s an extreme example, but a more common one for runners is spending most of the day sitting at a desk.
Sitting down all day doesn’t do much to keep the brain interested in how to perfectly control your legs. Walking requires a basic level of position sense, but running – especially on varied terrain – demands a lot more. A quick warm-up that includes exercises that tense your running muscles and challenge your balance can fix this.
Hypermobility
Some people are naturally hypermobile (very flexible joints with lax ligaments), often due to their genetics. These individuals usually also have reduced position sense in those joints.
The good news is that proprioceptive training can improve this, and there’s also some research suggesting that compression garments might help (more on this below).
Fatigue
Research has shown that position sense decreases when you’re tired. This is worth keeping in mind for runners – your coordination and control are naturally a bit less sharp towards the end of a long run or a hard training session. It’s one of the reasons that injuries often happen when you’re fatigued.
If you’re planning to do something that really challenges your balance and coordination – like trail running or obstacle races – make sure your fitness is up to the task so that fatigue doesn’t catch you out. Regular strength training can also help your body become more fatigue-resistant, so it's well worth including this in your routine.
Exercises to improve your position sense
Training position sense really isn’t complicated! We tend to use two main types of exercises for runners:
Balance exercises
Squat-based movements.
Key principles to follow:
Always start in a stable position and practise the basic movement pattern first.
Then progress to less stable positions or surfaces.
Practise regularly.
Balance exercises
Here are three progressions to work through. Only move on to the next one once you’ve nailed the previous level:
Single-leg stand, eyes open. Balance on one leg while looking straight ahead for 30 seconds. Keep your hands by your sides, your pelvis level, and your free leg away from your standing leg. You should be able to do this without wobbling before moving on.
Single-leg stand with head turns. Balance on one leg and slowly turn your head from side to side. Aim for 30 seconds of steady balance before progressing.
Single-leg stand, eyes closed. This is much harder because your brain no longer gets any help from your eyes – it has to rely entirely on the sensors in your muscles, joints, and ligaments. Aim for 30 seconds without losing your balance.
👉 You can also make these harder by standing on a balance board or foam cushion, but make sure you’ve mastered the exercises on a firm floor first.
Squat-based movements
Your leg goes through a very similar motion during a squat as it does when you run. This makes squats a really useful exercise for retraining your brain’s ability to control your legs during running. As a bonus, they also build strength – so it’s a great two-in-one exercise.
Double-leg squat. Start with a slow, controlled squat to about 90 degrees of knee bend. Your knees should move in line with the middle of your feet, and you should push your hips back so that your knees don’t drift too far over your toes. Keep your back upright and your tummy muscles engaged throughout. If your calves are tight and you struggle to go low enough, placing a thin book or wedge under your heels can help. Once your form is solid, move on.
Bulgarian split squat (single-leg squat with support). Balance on one leg with the other foot resting on a low chair or step behind you. Slowly squat down to about 60 degrees of knee bend – you might not get that low at first, and that’s absolutely fine. Work your way up to it. Check that your pelvis stays level and your knee tracks in line with the middle of your foot. Aim for 3 sets of 15 with good form before progressing.
Single-leg sit to stand (box squat). Sit on a chair and rise up into standing using only one leg, applying all the principles from the previous exercises. Then slowly lower yourself back down on the same leg. If this is too tough at first, start on a slightly higher surface. Your goal is to eventually be able to do 3 sets of 15 repetitions from a standard chair height (roughly 90 degrees of knee bend) with good control and no wobble.
👉 Looking for a structured way to build your running strength and control?
For the past 5 years, I’ve been working with the Exakt Running team to create an app for runners that makes it easy to stay strong and injury-free. The workouts include balance and position sense exercises, and the exercises rotate to keep things fresh.
You can download the Exakt Running app from the App Store or Google Play and try it for free. If you decide to subscribe, use the code MARYKE for a discount. 💫
Can tape or compression garments help?
At first glance, the research on this seems a bit mixed – some studies show that tape and compression garments can improve position sense, while others show no effect at all.
💡 But when you look more closely, the results actually make quite a lot of sense. People who already had reduced position sense showed clear improvements when tape or compression was applied. Those who had normal position sense to begin with saw no further benefit.
What does this mean in practice? We know that position sense is affected when you get injured, so taping the injured area can be an effective way to give it a boost while you recover. It can also be a useful strategy during a race if you’re coming back from an injury and want a bit of extra support.
👉 But this is only a temporary measure. Tape and compression garments aren’t a long-term fix – you still need to do your exercises to fully restore your position sense through rehab exercises.
How we can help
Need help with an injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at SIP online via video call for an assessment of your injury and a tailored treatment plan.
We're all UK Chartered Physiotherapists with Master’s Degrees related to Sports & Exercise Medicine or at least 10 years' experience in the field. But at Sports Injury Physio we don't just value qualifications; all of us also have a wealth of experience working with athletes across a broad variety of sports, ranging from recreationally active people to professional athletes. You can meet the team here.\
About the Author
Maryke Louw is a chartered physiotherapist with more than 20 years' experience and a Master’s Degree in Sports Injury Management. Follow her on LinkedIn and ResearchGate.
