Move with Ease: Release Your Spine, Hips, Knees, and Ankles

Ever feel like your body’s moving through molasses?

You’re not alone. Most of us are stiff, tight, or just “off” somewhere between the neck and the toes—but we can’t quite put our finger on why.
That’s where neutral comes in. And no, we’re not talking about Switzerland. We’re talking about your body’s ideal alignment—where your joints, muscles, and nervous system can work together like a perfectly tuned orchestra (instead of a garage band on their first rehearsal) [1,2].
This post is your guide to understanding neutral, proprioception (that hidden superpower you never knew you had), and how you can retrain your body to move with ease—starting from your feet and working all the way up.

What Is Neutral (and Why Should You Care)?

Neutral is the Goldilocks zone of your joints—not too forward, not too back, not too tilted, twisted, collapsed, or locked. It’s the centre point between full ranges of motion in all three planes: forward/back (sagittal), side/side (frontal), and rotational (transverse) [3].
When you’re in neutral:
  • Your pelvis is balanced, giving your spine freedom to extend and flex.
  • Your hips are centred, so they can rotate and load evenly.
  • Your knees can bend and rotate without screaming.
  • Your ankles can absorb and transmit force with every step.
In short? Neutral is where your body moves best. And most of us haven’t been there in years.
Maintaining a neutral alignment reduces mechanical stress on joints and supports efficient movement patterns [3,4].

Proprioception: The Secret Sense You Didn’t Know You Had

If balance, coordination, and graceful movement had a secret sauce—it would be proprioception.
It’s your internal GPS. The sense that tells you where your body parts are in space without needing to look [5].
Scientifically, proprioception is the neural communication between your muscles, joints, fascia, and brain. It helps you know where your knee is, how your pelvis is tilting, and whether your heel is actually on the ground [6].
When proprioception fades—due to injury, sitting too long, pain, or age—you lose the ability to move efficiently. And that’s when stiffness, imbalance, or injury creep in [7,8].

How to Discover Your Neutral (Without a Mirror)

You don’t need to be a physio to find your centre. You just need to feel it.
Try this:
  1. Shift your pelvis side to side. Notice how pressure moves through your feet.
  2. Tilt your pelvis forward and back. Watch what happens in your spine.
  3. Rotate your pelvis over your hips. Is one side more stuck?
Where your weight rests is where your nervous system thinks “home” is. We want to gently upgrade that default setting so it supports smoother, freer movement [9].

How to Move Your Pelvis (Like a Human, Not a Flamingo)

Most people live in one of two pelvic modes: anterior tilt (butt out) or posterior tilt (tucked under). Neither allows the spine to move well [10].
Check in:
  • Forward tilt → can your spine arch freely?
  • Backward tilt → can you isolate it without knee bend?
  • Side shift → feel the change in foot pressure.
  • Rotation → can your pelvis rotate without dragging your knees?
Your pelvis is the command centre for spinal motion—unlock it and everything above and below improves [11].

How to Move Your Hips (They’re Not Just Hinges)

Your hips are meant to rotate and glide in three dimensions—not just flex forward in a lunge [12].
Check in:
  • Can you shift weight into one hip while keeping the other light?
  • Does your knee dive in or stay aligned?
  • Can you rotate your femur internally and externally without relying on your foot?
When hips get lazy, knees and backs suffer. Wake up the rotation and lateral motion, and you unlock your whole gait [13].

How to Move Your Knees (They Rotate Too!)

Surprise: your knees aren’t just door hinges.
They subtly rotate and glide to help you manage load and direction changes. When they don’t? Hello, medial pain, quad tightness, and awkward turns [14].
Check in:
  • Gently rotate your shin bone (tibia) under a still thigh bone (femur).
  • Watch your knee track over your second toe in a mini squat.
  • Let your knees follow pelvis rotation side-to-side.
If it feels awkward, it’s probably overdue.

What Motion Is Available in Your Ankles?

Your ankles need:
  • Dorsiflexion (forward bend) for walking and squatting.
  • Plantarflexion (pointing down) for pushing off.
  • Inversion/Eversion for balance and absorbing terrain changes [15].
Check in:
  • Can your knee glide forward without your heel lifting?
  • Can your foot maintain tripod contact: heel, big toe, and pinky toe?
  • Does the motion come from the ankle—not the foot cheating?
Your foot/ankle complex is your foundation. If it’s off, the rest of the house wobbles [16].

5 Simple Proprioception Exercises You Can Try Today

Reboot your body-brain link with these:
  1. Single-Leg Balance: Close your eyes to upgrade the challenge.
  2. Toe Lifts & Arch Awareness: Lift all toes, then lower just the big one.
  3. Pelvis Rotation Over Stable Feet: Get your hips and spine communicating.
  4. Heel Rocks & Ankle Circles: Mobilise and connect.
  5. Knee Glides Over Toes: Teach your joints the right path again [5,8,17].
These proprioceptive drills can improve joint awareness and coordination, especially when integrated into rehab or warm-up programs.

Why This All Matters

At The Body Lab, we see it every day: people with dulled proprioception, locked joints, and “mystery” pain.
Instead of stretching what’s tight or strengthening what’s weak—we guide your nervous system back to a state of balance[18].
We help you rediscover neutral, rebuild proprioception, and move through life with less effort and more freedom.

Ready to Move Smarter, Not Just More?

If you feel stuck, stiff, or disconnected from your body—it’s time to change that.
Book a session at The Body Lab and let’s assess your proprioception, find your true neutral, and give your joints the freedom they’ve been begging for.
You don’t need to move more.
You just need to move better.
References
  1. Proske U, Gandevia SC. The proprioceptive senses: their roles in signaling body shape, body position and movement, and muscle force. Physiol Rev. 2012;92(4):1651–1697.
  2. Brumagne S, Janssens L, Janssens E, Goddyn L. Altered postural control in individuals with lumbar instability: A contribution of altered proprioception and neuromuscular control. Eur Spine J. 2008;17(2):235–245.
  3. The neutral spine principle. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2009;13(3):213–214.
  4. Lephart SM, Pincivero DM, Giraldo JL, Fu FH. The role of proprioception in the management and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. Am J Sports Med. 1997;25(1):130–137.
  5. Yılmaz O, et al. Effects of proprioceptive training on sports performance: a systematic review. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2024;16:149.
  6. Han J, et al. Assessing proprioception: A critical review of methods. J Sport Health Sci. 2016;5(1):80–90.
  7. Ribeiro F, Oliveira J. Aging effects on joint proprioception: The role of physical activity in proprioception preservation. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. 2007;4(2):71–76.
  8. Areeudomwong P, et al. The effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques on balance and physical function in patients with chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatr. 2025;25:5822.
  9. Jeon W, et al. Effects of initial foot position on neuromuscular and biomechanical control during the stand-to-sit movement. PLoS One. 2025;20(2):e0315738.
  10. Sahrmann SA. Diagnosis and treatment of movement impairment syndromes. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2002.
  11. Kendall FP, McCreary EK, Provance PG. Muscles: Testing and Function with Posture and Pain. 5th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005.
  12. Neumann DA. Kinesiology of the Hip: A Focus on Muscular Actions. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010;40(2):82–94.
  13. Graci V, Van Dillen LR, Salsich GB. Gender differences in trunk, pelvis and lower limb kinematics during a single leg squat. Gait Posture. 2012;36(3):461–466.
  14. Escamilla RF. Knee biomechanics of the dynamic squat exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33(1):127–141.
  15. Hertel J. Functional anatomy, pathomechanics, and pathophysiology of lateral ankle instability. J Athl Train. 2002;37(4):364–375.
  16. Mulligan EP, Butterfield MM, et al. Functional biomechanics of the ankle and foot. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016;11(6):982–993.
  17. Topp R, et al. The effect of proprioceptive training on chronic ankle instability. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2002;32(10):483–493.
  18. Cook G. Movement: Functional movement systems. On Target Publications; 2010.

Xingpijieyu and how it can help you with Stress and Depression

What Is Xingpijieyu?

Xingpijieyu (XPJY) is a traditional Chinese herb which has been used for centuries. It has been found effective in the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression.

It is quite often the case that too much stress in a person’s life, taking on too much, can lead to anxiety, overwhelm and panic attack.

A panic attack is very alarming because it’s usually accompanied with –

  • trouble swallowing
  • shortness of breath
  • sometimes a cough
  • heart palpitations
  • foggy head
  • some cases, people feel like they are going to have a heart attack and become even more fearful

These conditions affect our mental health and lead to even more overwhelm. This is often accompanied with low moods and a loss of joy and interest in activities you used to love to do. Add this to a foggy head which gives you cognitive dysfunction meaning you can’t ‘think straight’ to go through your day and life becomes miserable. Hence the depression. There follows a loss of memory and learning ability for both adults and children, and it creates a cycle which seems to be endless.

XPJY is useful in all of the above instances and also for learning and memory issues for both adults and children. There are a number of studies that show how successfully it can be used in those areas.

Studies done with Xingpijieyu

XPJY is a great for improving mood and for many other issues that go with depression. It has been found to successfully improve the signal pathways connected with emotion, memory and learning – namely the hippocampus.

One instance is in a study done in Beijing by the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The study was carried out on 60 rats divided into groups. The outcome in part showed that there were increases in spatial learning which led to heightened memory abilities in one XPJY group. It was also found in this study that XPJY can achieve the same improvements with regards to memory as sertraline (SSRIs) in a second group, and in a third group even better results than for sertraline with regard to spatial learning and memory. Another group benefited from prevention of stress related weight loss. So, the properties of XPJY help the memory, improve cognitive abilities and can prevent weight loss associated with stress.

In another study it was found that XPJY works on gut inflammation and the gut microbiota. These are now known to have an impact on stress related and depression pathways. There are now a number of studies that show that treating gut inflammation with probiotics can also have a positive effect on cognitive level, stress levels and depression. The gut relationship with our mental abilities is of paramount importance and this is one reason why the food you eat, the lifestyle you lead impacts so directly on your moods and mental disposition.

Since there are no known negative side effects of XPJY it means it can safely be used, in the correct dosages, as suggested by your accredited natural practitioner.

If you are suffering from these symptoms above of stress, anxiety and depression speak to your natural therapist or Chinese herbalist to see how they can assist. XPJY is one gentle herb that can help you improve your mental disposition. Often it is great to have a team of medical professionals who will assist you on your pathway to health. A naturopath or nutritionist, a chiropractor, a Chinese herbalist, a massage therapist and/or a physiotherapist, counselling/psychologist and other practitioners can all make a good team with your doctor to help you improve your health, your disposition and mood as well as give you a better lifestyle in line with your goals and dreams.

Eating for Fertility in Autumn with Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine is a popular alternative medicine with a long history and tradition. It encompasses various therapies and practices, including diet therapy – a practice of using food to prevent and treat health disorders. In Chinese medicine, the diet plays a crucial role in promoting fertility and overall health.

Autumn is a vital time of the year when the environment and nature change, which affects our body’s condition. During this season, your focus should be on nourishing your body due to the cooler and drier weather. Here are some of the best Autumn seasonal foods recommended in Chinese Medicine for Fertility. Organic is always best, especially with strawberries.

  1. Squash: is high in beta-carotene and vitamin C, which help boost the immune system and protect against oxidative stress. It is also loaded with folate, a nutrient essential for fetal development. neutral to cooling energy. It is believed to benefit the spleen and stomach and can help improve digestion.
  2. Pumpkin: is believed to be good for fertility due to its high content of antioxidants like beta-carotene, vitamin C, and E, which can protect sperm and eggs from damage caused by free radicals. Additionally, pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc, which is essential for male reproductive health and has been shown to increase sperm count and motility. Pumpkins are also rich in folate, which is important for female reproductive health as it helps prevent birth defects in newborns. Pumpkins nourish and tonify the spleen and promote the healthy production of Qi and blood, which are essential for reproduction, also cooling nature to clear heat and toxins from the body, which can also support fertility. It is commonly recommended for women who are struggling with irregular periods, menstrual cramps, or fertility issues related to a weakened digestive system.
  3. Apples: are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, making them an excellent choice for promoting fertility. The flavonoids present in apples can improve sperm quality and help regulate menstrual cycles in women. Apples have a cooling energy and are believed to benefit the lungs and spleen. They can help improve digestion and are thought to have a cleansing effect on the body.
  4. Pears: are a great source of vitamin C, fiber, and copper. They are particularly beneficial for women due to their ability to strengthen the uterus. Pears have a cooling energy and are believed to benefit the lungs and throat. They are also particularly good for soothing coughs and reducing phlegm.
  5. Chestnuts: are a low-fat and high-fiber source of nutrition. They are rich in vitamins and have a warming energy to strengthen the kidneys and spleen.
  6. Sweet potatoes: are an excellent source of vitamin A, which helps with fetal development. Sweet potato is warming energy, sweet, neutral or slightly cool flavor. They nourish the spleen and stomach, tonify qi and blood, and support the yin energy of the body. Sweet potato is also believed to have a soothing effect on the digestive system and promote healthy bowel movements. Additionally, it is thought to benefit the lungs and reduce inflammation.

The following fruits are cooler in nature & are best in early Autumn or can be warmed where digestion is weaker:

  1. Figs: were considered sacred fruit and were closely associated with fertility and love. Scientifically, figs improve fertility and libido because they are loaded with minerals like zinc, manganese and magnesium which play an important role in boosting reproductive health. Figs also have a cooling effect on the body, which helps to balance out the excess heat that can accumulate during the summer months.
  2. Strawberries: are considered valuable for trying to conceive. They are also high in vitamin C and folic acid, which provides a conducive environment for conception. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins present in berries have powerful antioxidant properties and help with the production of hormones responsible for optimum egg growth. Strawberries are also one of the most potent allergens. But please note that this berry is strictly forbidden to women who have inherited food allergies.
  3. Plums: will bring the maximum benefit for fertility if you consume them raw. Potassium that is contained in the fruit also protects against birth defects in the brain and spine that can develop in the first few weeks of pregnancy. Plums are considered to be cool in nature, so they also help counteract the heat and dryness of the season, nourish the Yin energy in the body, and promote digestion and detoxification. Additionally, plums are thought to have a sour taste which corresponds to the Metal element and the Lung and Large Intestine organs, making them beneficial for respiratory and digestive health.

In addition to the above foods, Chinese medicine also recommends incorporating warm foods and spices during the autumn season. These include cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and onions, which have the ability to boost circulation, warm the body, and boost immunity.

Overall, Chinese medicine diet therapy can play a crucial role in promoting fertility and overall health. By incorporating a variety of nutrient-rich foods and warming spices, you can improve your chances of conceiving while nourishing your body during the cooler autumn season.