Hitting 10,000 steps a day is a fitness goal held by many, but a less time-consuming alternative performed lying down could help improve balance, flexibility, and agility in just two weeks, experts say. The exercise routine, developed by Japanese scientists, takes just 10 minutes and is performed lying on the ground, with no planks, sit-ups, or crunches in sight.
How the Routine Works
The regime involves tensing specific sets of muscles while wiggling the toes and is credited with helping to prevent falls in older people. In younger people, it can improve posture and flexibility, warding off the physical signs of aging, according to the study published in the journal PLOS One. The basic moves are inspired by Pilates, which also focus on balance, posture, strength, and flexibility, but are much less strenuous. Researchers say you can reap the benefits of the routine doing just one minute a day.
"Since the weight of the torso accounts for about half of our body weight, controlling it is actually quite difficult, leading to problems such as falls and joint disorders," said Professor Yoriko Atomi from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. "Improving balance not only increases agility but also enhances various motor skills, allowing us to live more comfortably."
Study Details
Unlike many other strengthening routines, Professor Atomi's 10-minute regime can be done entirely on the floor, with no push-ups or planks in sight. Given the world's aging population, preventing falls is paramount, but sedentary lifestyles coupled with the obesity epidemic seem to work directly against this. Professor Atomi, who has spent decades studying muscle adaptation, believes the best way to improve balance is on the floor. The 81-year-old professor perfected the routine after suffering from chronic knee and lower back pain for decades; it is now an essential part of her morning routine.
The study followed 17 healthy men, who were randomly assigned to perform the exercise routine every morning or not for two weeks. Their physical fitness was tested at the beginning and end of the study using sit-ups, a standing long jump, side-to-side leaping, and a 50-meter run, during which the degree of "sway" in their torso was measured to assess balance and stability. The second phase of the study took 22 participants (men and women), testing them in a side-stepping task while assessing how well they could control their head, back, pelvis, and ankles to stop themselves from overbalancing.
Those who followed the routine for two weeks showed greater improvements in flexibility, agility, and static balance performance than those who did not. However, completing the ten-minute daily routine did not improve power or overall muscle strength. That being said, those who followed the routine were able to complete more controlled side-to-side leaps than their peers, which researchers said was likely due to the body's nervous system adapting to control the muscles more effectively.
Professor Atomi said the exercises work because they do not involve the erector spinae — the three vertical muscles running along the spine that we over-rely on for posture and balance — forcing participants to strengthen other core muscles.
How to Perform the Routine
To perform the routine, start by lying on the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Place both hands on your stomach to help visualise engaging your core, then tense the muscles directly beneath your fingertips, creating resistance. Repeat this eight times, moving your hands clockwise in a circle from the starting point. Repeat the whole process three times.
Then tilt your pelvis backwards so your lower back comes into contact with the floor, while tensing your abdominal muscles and pushing your hips upwards away from the ground to hover your glutes off the floor. Hold for five seconds and repeat ten times.
Returning to your starting position, straighten one of your legs and leave the other bent at 90 degrees. Raise the foot of the bent leg up off the floor and curl your toes over while keeping your foot raised upwards towards the sky. Straighten the leg, scraping the heel along the floor whilst keeping your toes clenched. Once completely straight, point your toes away from you and hold for five seconds. Repeat three times on each leg.
Finally, with both legs straight, perform a "rock, paper, scissors" movement with your toes on each foot. Clench the toes for rock, flex for paper, and then raise your big toe on its own and cross it over the front of your second toe for scissors. Repeat five times.
