Proprioceptive Activities: What are they & How do they help?

Proprioception tells us about the position of our body in relation to other people and objects. Many children from early childhood trauma struggle with sensory defensive or seeking behaviors and need healthy opportunities throughout the day in order to help stay regulated.

Some great proprioceptive exercises for children during play are monkey bars, jungle gyms and trampolines. Here are some other ways to apply deep pressure activities throughout the day.

Chair Push Ups: Sitting with upright posture in a chair, have your child put his/her hands on the side of the seat. The child lifts and holds his/her bottom up off the seat for 3-5 seconds and then slowly lowers back down into the chair.

Wall Push Ups: Put both hands on the wall with the feet a little farther than arm’s length back from the wall. Lean your body towards the wall and back out. Another option is to just push both hands against the wall for 5-10 seconds with arms extended.

Desk Push Ups: Place both forearms on the desk, palms facing down and flat. Lean your body weight over your forearms lifting your bottom off the chair. Return to a seated position. Repeat several times.

Bear Hugs: Wrap your arms around your chest or knees and give yourself a big, firm hug.

Arm Squeezes: Use your right hand to give firm arm squeezes up your left arm starting at the wrist. Repeat with the left hand squeezing the right arm.

Here are some signs that your child may need help:

Chew on everything

Hide in tight spots

Love heavy blankets

Play rough

Crash into things on purpose

Always try to jump on the couch or bed

Be described as very physical or “wild”

Over-step personal boundaries

Hold onto writing utensils tightly

Clumsy

Generally low energy

May not want to get out of bed in the morning

Bumps into walls and objects, seeming not to notice them

Very high pain tolerance