Podiatrist · Specialist in Biomechanics · Founder of VOLKAN
"Before we move, the brain needs to know where we are."
Do a very simple test
Close your eyes.
Now slowly lift one foot off the ground.
Without looking at it.
Were you able to do it?
Surely yes.
And that raises a fascinating question.
How did your brain know where that foot was if you couldn't see it?
The answer lies in a sense that we almost never talk about.
Proprioception.
And, although it doesn't appear in school books alongside sight or hearing, it is one of the most important systems for moving safely.
The body's internal GPS
Within the muscles, tendons, joints, and skin, there are millions of tiny receptors.
They do not produce force.
They do not generate movement.
Their function is different.
To send information.
They inform the brain about the position of each joint.
About the tension of a muscle.
About the pressure received by the sole of the foot.
About the speed at which a movement changes.
All that information constantly ascends to the nervous system.
And thanks to it, the brain builds a true map of the body.
It's like a biological GPS that updates several times per second.
Walking without thinking
When we walk we don't need to constantly look at our feet.
We can speak.
Look at the landscape.
Think about something else.
Even walk at night with very little light.
That is possible because the brain combines information from different systems.
The eyes show the environment.
The vestibular system informs about the position of the head.
The feet communicate what the ground is like.
The muscles and joints inform how the body is moving.
None of these systems works alone.
They all collaborate.
And when one provides less accurate information, the others try to compensate.
That is one of the great strengths of the organism.
When the information changes
After a sprained ankle something very interesting happens.
The pain disappears.
The inflammation does too.
However, many people still say:
—I feel that the ankle is not safe.
In many cases it is not just a matter of strength.
The nervous system has received a huge amount of information during the injury.
And it needs to trust that joint again.
That’s why a good rehabilitation is not just about strengthening muscles.
It must also help the brain rebuild an accurate map of movement.
Moving with confidence is also learned.
What does this have to do with barefoot?
A lot.
Every centimeter of the sole of the foot contains thousands of receptors capable of detecting pressure, texture, temperature, and small variations in the terrain.
When the foot has the freedom to move and feel, that information reaches the nervous system with greater richness.
It does not mean that walking barefoot is always better.
Nor do all people need to use minimalist footwear.
It means that the quality of sensory information is also part of the biomechanics.
And, in many cases, improving that information helps the brain to better organize movement.
Not because it changes anatomy.
But because it improves communication.
What I see every day in consultation
There are patients who come in convinced that their problem is exclusively muscular.
However, when we evaluate their balance, we discover something different.
The body doubts.
It needs more time to react.
It seeks stability where it did not need it before.
After working on movement control, they often regain confidence even before gaining significant muscle strength.
That happens because the brain starts to trust the information it receives again.
And when confidence increases, the quality of movement also improves.
What you can do starting today
Find a quiet moment.
Barefoot, on a safe surface, try to balance for a few seconds on one leg.
Not to demonstrate balance.
But to listen to your body.
Observe how the toes work.
How the ankle corrects.
How the hip participates.
How even the breathing changes slightly.
You will discover that maintaining balance is not about staying still.
It’s about making hundreds of small adjustments that we almost never perceive.
🔬 In a sentence
Movement does not depend only on strength. It depends on the quality of the information that the nervous system receives.
The most important idea
Every step is a continuous conversation between the brain and the body.
The more precise the information our sensory systems receive, the more efficient the motor response can be.
That’s why modern biomechanics not only strengthens muscles.
It also seeks to improve the quality of that conversation.
Because a well-informed body tends to make better decisions.
A question to reflect on
When you train or do rehabilitation…
Are you only teaching your muscles… or are you also training the nervous system to better interpret the information it receives?
In the next article…
So far we have talked about muscles, brain, pain, and movement.
But there is a word that continuously appears in consultations and is often misinterpreted.
Balance.
Does it mean staying completely still?
Or, in reality, does maintaining balance consist of moving constantly?
We will discover why people with better balance are not the ones who move the least, but those who make the most precise adjustments without barely being noticed.