Interoceptive Senses in Contemporary Physical Education: The Sincrony Methodology and Movement Didactics

This chapter aims to explore the educational relevance of interoceptive senses, with particular reference to proprioception and kinesthesia, within the context of school-based physical education. In a landscape dominated by digital stimuli and a growing disconnection from the body, the intention was to investigate whether an educational intervention centered on bodily awareness could positively affect certain cognitive functions, specifically sustained attention and working memory, in adolescents with different levels of screen exposure. A pilot experiment was carried out involving 60 students from lower secondary school (aged 12–14), divided into two groups based on their average daily use of digital devices. Both groups participated in a motor protocol based on the Sincrony methodology, integrated into regular physical education lessons over an eight-week period (two 30-minute sessions per week). Cognitive functions were assessed using the Digit Span Test (working memory) and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) (sustained attention), administered before and after the intervention. Additional data were collected through pedometry, motor diaries, and systematic teacher observations. The results showed a significant improvement in the CPT for the group with lower digital exposure (p = 0.048), while the improvement in the Digit Span Test did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.201). Pedometer data and perceived active time did not reveal notable variations, suggesting that the cognitive benefits were not due to an overall increase in physical activity, but rather to the interoceptive quality of the motor experience. These preliminary findings suggest that intentional proprioceptive stimulation may represent a simple yet effective supplementary tool to support sustained attention in adolescents, particularly in educational settings. The Sincrony methodology emerges as an innovative and feasible approach to reintegrate interoception into movement-based instruction, without requiring infrastructural changes. While the small sample size does not allow for generalizations, it does open up a broader reflection, especially considering the current somatic disconnection, on how to rethink or better structure physical education through an interoceptive lens, in order to counterbalance exteroceptive overstimulation and support adolescent well-being.