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Ageing well doesn’t happen by accident. Staying mobile later in life requires consistent work, and growing research suggests that prioritising strength, balance and agility can help maintain physical function as you get older. Now, a new study suggests there may be a simple way to support all three – with a low-intensity workout that takes just 10 minutes.
The routine, outlined in a new study published in PLOS One, is performed lying down in what researchers describe as the ‘supine position’. Participants saw modest improvements in balance, agility and flexibility after following the programme.
‘I am now 81 years old. I do this exercise every morning,’ says Yoriko Atomi, PhD, study co-author and professor emeritus at The University of Tokyo. ‘Prevention is key when it comes to avoiding falls and conditions such as knee and lower-back pain.’
Here’s what the research found – and why experts say the routine may be worth adding to your day.
Meet the Experts: Tomoaki Atomi, PT, PhD, study co-author, physical therapist, and researcher at Kyorin University; Molly Gearin, PT, DPT, physical therapist at WAVE Physical Therapy & Pilates; and Yoriko Atomi, PhD, study co-author and professor emeritus at The University of Tokyo.
What Did the Study Find?
The study was divided into two parts. In the first, a randomised crossover trial, 17 healthy young men completed a 10-minute version of the workout each day for two weeks alongside a control routine. Researchers then assessed flexibility, agility, strength and balance.
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A second part of the study involved 22 men and women completing the programme for two weeks. Researchers analysed balance using motion sensors during a side-step agility test.
The results showed noticeable improvements in balance, flexibility and agility. Participants swayed less during standing balance tests, moved faster side-to-side and improved their seated forward bend performance, suggesting greater range of motion.
However, researchers found no meaningful improvements in strength or power. Grip strength, sprint speed and jumping distance remained unchanged.
How Do You Do the Workout?
The routine is split into several sections.
The first targets the abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your knees bent and place your hands on your abdomen. Gently press your fingertips into your stomach, then contract your abs to push back against them before relaxing. Repeat three times.
The second exercise also starts lying on your back with knees bent and hands on your abdomen. Tilt your pelvis backwards while keeping your core engaged. Lift your hips slightly off the floor, hold for five seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times.
For the final movement, lie on your back with both legs straight. Bend one knee and bring it as close to your body as possible while keeping the sole of the foot flat on the floor. Lift and curl the toes of the bent leg under slightly. From there, slowly slide your heel along the floor to straighten the leg, keeping the foot flexed upwards.
Once the leg is straight, perform a series of toe movements:
- ‘Rock’: curl your toes under
- ‘Scissors’: raise your big toe
- ‘Paper’: spread your toes apart
Repeat the sequence five times.
‘These exercises are relatively accessible and low-load, so many people may be able to do them at home,’ says Tomoaki Atomi, PT, PhD. ‘However, proper technique matters – especially trunk muscle activation, lower-limb coordination and toe and ankle movement.’
Why Could This Help with Healthy Ageing?
Balance and agility matter at every age, but they become increasingly important as we get older, explains Molly Gearin, PT, DPT, physical therapist at WAVE Physical Therapy & Pilates.
‘Falls are the leading cause of injury in adults aged 65 and over,’ she says. ‘We also know that fall risk increases with poor balance, agility and trunk control, because the body is less able to stabilise itself against external challenges – such as tripping on a kerb or being knocked unexpectedly.’
As a result, exercises that improve balance and coordination may help lower both fall risk and overall injury risk.
There’s another important reason to pay attention to these qualities too: research has consistently linked better balance and agility with greater longevity.
Who Benefits Most?
The study focused on healthy young adults, so it’s difficult to know exactly how widely the results apply. Still, because the programme is low-impact and relatively safe, researchers believe it may be especially useful for beginners, older adults, sedentary individuals and people recovering from injury.
Gearin agrees.
‘Anyone can benefit from a programme like this because it improves the connection between trunk stability and lower-body coordination, which are essential for everyday movement and function,’ she says.
‘However, because muscle mass and neuromuscular control naturally decline with age and inactivity, this type of programme may be especially beneficial for older adults, people starting a wellness journey or those returning to exercise after a long break.’
If you want to try it yourself, Yoriko Atomi recommends treating it like any other daily habit.
‘Think of it like brushing your teeth every morning,’ she says.
Carina Hsieh, MPH, is the deputy features editor of Women’s Health. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience working in media and has covered everything from beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, pets, to health.
She began her career as an intern in the fashion closet at Cosmopolitan where she worked her way up to Senior Sex & Relationships Editor. While covering women’s health there, she discovered her passion for health service journalism and took a break to get her Masters in Public Health. Post-grad school, she worked as a freelance writer and as The Daily Beast’s first Beauty, Health, and Wellness Reporter.
Carina is an alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Yale School of Public Health. She and her French Bulldog, Bao Bao, split their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut. She enjoys reformer Pilates, (slow) running, and smelling the fancy toiletries in boutique fitness class locker rooms.
