10-minute daily floor-based workout could improve balance and agility

To address this gap, a team led by researchers at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology developed a short exercise routine performed entirely in a supine position.

Performing these exercises lying down provides a wider base of support and reduces the effects of gravity, making it biomechanically stable and potentially safer for those in rehabilitation or with balancing difficulties.

The program mainly focuses on muscle control to build coordination between the core and limbs, facilitating easier, safer movement when standing.

The exercises include an abdominal press, to activate core muscles by pressing and tightening, a small bridge, to connect the abs, lower back, and hips so they work together, a leg slide and press, to train the legs to move smoothly and stay controlled, and playing ‘rock-paper-scissors’ with the toes to improve control and strength.

Study author Yoriko Atomi, PhD, Professor Emeritus at The University of Tokyo and Specially Appointed Professor at the Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, helped develop the exercise program to relieve her own joint pain.

In a background document prepared by Atomi, she emphasizes that maintaining good balance is key to staying independent and avoiding injury.

She suggests that practicing exercises can help maintain or improve balance, and reduce the risk of falls and joint pain, even as the body ages.

“I would like to share that by performing this supine exercise every day of the year as soon as I wake up, I have been able to manage issues such as knee and lower back pain,” Atomi disclosed in the background document.

The study involved healthy young adults completing a daily 10-minute session for 2 weeks, and used both randomized crossover and pre–post trial designs.

In the randomized crossover trial, 17 healthy young males completed both an exercise phase and a control phase. The researchers assessed physical fitness, including flexibility, agility, and strength, as well as static balance.

The pre-post study involved 22 males and females performing the program for 2 weeks. Researchers analyzed dynamic balance using motion sensors placed on the body during a side-step agility task.

The results across both experiments were consistent and showed improvements in balance, agility, and flexibility.

Participants showed reduced body sway during standing tasks, especially in more challenging positions with a narrow base of support. Additionally, performance in a side-step test, a measure of quick lateral movement, increased significantly and they improved in sitting trunk flexion, indicating a greater range of motion.

The researchers also found no change in strength or power, as measures such as grip strength, jumping distance, and sprint speed remained unchanged.

Speaking to Medical News TodayAtomi discussed who could benefit the most from this exercise program.

“Based on our healthy young study, we should also be cautious about directly generalizing these findings beyond the different backgrounds we studied,” she told us.

“However, because the exercises are low-load and involve relatively low physical risk, this type of program may also have potential for individuals with reduced physical function, including older adults, sedentary individuals, or those in rehabilitation settings. These groups will need to be studied directly in future research.”
– Yoriko Atomi, PhD

Atomi highlights that the supine position frees the core from its primary function of supporting the body while standing. This makes it easier to study and train how the core and legs work together, because the body is under less strain.

“We chose the supine position because lying down reduces the postural demands placed on antigravity muscles, such as those in the back and lower limbs. This creates a simpler mechanical environment where participants may be better able to focus on coordinating the core muscles of the trunk with lower limb movement,” Atomi told MNT.

“The advantage is that this approach is low-load, relatively safe, and accessible, while still targeting important movement-control strategies that may transfer to standing posture and dynamic tasks.”

“The advantage is that this approach is low-load, relatively safe, and accessible, while still targeting important movement-control strategies that may transfer to standing posture and dynamic tasks.”
– Yoriko Atomi, PhD

The researchers add that the benefits of the exercise program are unlikely due to muscle growth, and instead suggest neuromuscular adaptations, or how well the nervous system coordinates the body and distributes weight efficiently.

“In simple terms, neuromuscular adaptation means that the body becomes better at using the muscles it already has, rather than simply building bigger muscles,” Atomi explained to MNT.

“Over a short period of time, the nervous system can improve how different body segments — such as the trunk and lower limbs — work together, making movement more efficient and coordinated.”

“In this study, we believe participants may have improved how they controlled their relatively heavy trunk and coordinated it with lower limb movement, which may have helped improve balance, flexibility, and agility even without major gains in strength or muscle size,” she added.

The supine position may not only allow the body to focus more on coordination and control, but may also lower physical strain, reduce injury risk, and also make the exercises more accessible to a wider range of people.

Interestingly, motion analysis also showed that after the program, participants stabilized their head and upper body more effectively during movement, suggesting improved central control of balance.

Although the study involved healthy young adults, the findings suggest broader possibilities.

A short, safe, and simple routine like this could be useful for fall prevention programs, early stage rehabilitation, or individuals with limited mobility or balance issues.

“Because the program is low-load, relatively safe, and designed to improve postural control and movement coordination, it may be particularly relevant for fall prevention or rehabilitation,” Atomi said.

“Our current findings are an early step, and future research will focus on testing its effectiveness in older adults and clinical rehabilitation populations to better understand how it can be applied in those settings,” she suggested.

While the findings are preliminary, they suggest that a brief daily exercise routine performed lying down may offer a practical and low risk way to improve balance, flexibility, and movement coordination, without the need for intense training.

The exercise program may also offer an accessible option that people can implement into their daily routine at home.

“Based on practical experience, people may gain at least some benefit from written instructions or illustrated guides alone. However, exercises involving trunk control and coordinated lower limb movement may vary in difficulty depending on the individual,” Atomi told MNT.

“Ideally, the best approach would be initial in-person instruction, along with periodic follow-up to ensure correct technique. If face-to-face supervision is difficult, video-based instruction or online guidance may also be valuable ways to improve understanding and support consistent practice,” she advised.