What Is Kinesthesis?

Kinesthesis is the perception of body movements and detecting changes in body position and movements. It is also referred to as kinesthesia or kinesthetic sense. You use your kinesthetic sense whenever you engage in physical activity such as walking, running, driving, dancing, swimming—anything that requires body movement.

When you compress or tense your muscles, they detect and communicate sensory information about movement and posture. This sense is also sometimes referred to as muscle memory.

Note that kinesthesis is not the same as equilibrium. The ability to detect and maintain balance involves different sensory inputs and is linked to the functions of the inner ear.

Signs of Kinesthesis

Through your sense of kinesthesis, you can tell where different parts of your body are located, even if your eyes are closed, or you are not looking at your body. For example, when you are riding a bicycle, receptors in your arms and legs send information to the brain about the position and movement of your limbs.

Some signs that you are using your sense of kinesthesis include:

• Performing physical activities that require certain body movements to complete, such as sports, mechanics, cooking, or painting
• Coordinating movements to perform physical tasks
• Practicing physical activities to learn how to repeat them again, such as riding a bike or dribbling a basketball
  
• Engaging in activities that require hand-eye coordination
• Typing on a keyboard without looking at the keys
• Being able to detect how heavy an object is after picking it up

One sign that kinesthesis is at work is if you are moving your body and can stop at the exact moment that you want to. You can do this even without relying on your vision to tell you when to stop moving.

Kinesthesis and Learning

Kinesthesis is one of the four major learning styles in the Fleming VARK model, along with visual, auditory, and reading/writing. According to theories of learning styles, people learn best if instruction is offered according to their learning preferences.

People who are kinesthetic learners learn through hands-on experiences. They prefer to move and stay active as they are learning. Games and physical activities are helpful and make concepts and skills more memorable.

Imagine, for example, that you are trying to learn how to hit a baseball with a bat. If you have a kinesthetic learning style, you might learn best by performing the action. Instead of just reading about how to hit a ball or watching other people perform this action, you need to get a bat in your hands and practice swinging it.

The VARK model suggests that people with this learning style may prefer lessons that involve movement, such as experimenting, working with a group to solve a problem, or performing a skit.

The concept of learning styles is enormously popular, particularly in the field of education. However, most research has found that there is little evidence that instructing students according to their preferred learning style impacts educational outcomes. However, understanding how you prefer to learn may still help improve your motivation and enjoyment of the learning process.

Kinesthesis vs. Vestibular Sense

Kinesthesis and vestibular sense are sometimes confused, but there are important distinctions between the two. Both senses are important for body movement and spatial orientation, but they serve different functions and work differently.

Your vestibular sense is controlled by structures in your inner ear, which help you detect changes in head position, rotation, and movement. This enables you to maintain your balance and eye gaze as you move your body.

Impact of Kinesthesis

Kinesthesis plays an essential role in daily life. This sense is vital for many of the skills and actions that people rely on every day, including driving a car, riding a bike, or even just walking down the street.

Without kinesthesis, such actions could be perilous or even potentially dangerous. Kinesthetics can also have therapeutic applications, including:

Body-Based and Movement-Focused Therapies

Some therapies—including physical therapy, occupational therapy, dance therapy, and yoga therapy—rely on many different aspects of kinesthesis. The use of kinesthetics can be useful for helping people achieve important daily living tasks.

Kinesthetic/Tactile Massage

This type of massage focuses on the body's movement rather than the pressure applied. This can be helpful for people who are recovering from an injury or who have chronic pain.

Kinesthetic Exercises

These can improve balance and coordination, which can be especially helpful for older adults who are at risk of falling.

Athletics

Kinesthesis can also be used to improve athletic performance. For example, training with a kinesthetic coach can help an athlete learn the correct way to perform a particular movement. This can help them avoid injury and improve their overall performance. 

Takeaway

While there has been little empirical support for the concept of learning styles, there may be ways to take advantage of a preference for kinesthetic learning.

If you are a person with a strong kinesthetic sense who prefers learning by doing, you might opt to incorporate physical activity when learning new things. For example, rather than focusing only on reading instruction manuals or listening to lectures, you might look for ways that you can gain hands-on experience.