The brain controls and regulates everything from coordination to mental state and immune function. To know how to respond effectively the brain needs a crystal-clear picture of what is going both on the inside and outside of the body. Movement of the body provides: joint position, joint movement and joint loading feedback to the brain, this feedback is called joint proprioception.
Most of the joint proprioception never reaches our conscious awareness, instead it runs subconscious nerve patterns used to keep the body balanced and in a general state of wellbeing. In fact, on average 3 000 000 000 000 bits of information reaches the brain every second and only 50 bits reach our conscious awareness. This unconscious “background noise” in the brain is very important for the running of the body. Without it the body would shut down and fall unconscious.
Joint proprioception creates the very foundation of this background noise. In effect movement recharges the battery of our brain. This is why it is harder to stay awake when you are lying still (unloading your joints). This is also one of the reasons why exercise makes you alert and increases your general health and wellbeing.