Yoga Gets You on the Floor: Here’s Why It Matters

One of the beauty parts of yoga is that it teaches you to get up and down off the floor. 

As it turns out, your ability to do so is important for preventing injury as you age. You can improve this skill, as a 2026 study published in Frontiers in Rehabilitation Services shows. Although this study was intended to demonstrate a useful intervention for preventing fall harm, it indirectly highlights a fabulous benefit of regularly talking to your mat. 

What the Study Tested 

The study size was small, consisting of only eight individuals, three males and five females between the ages of 31 and 55. Participants completed a 3-week program that included training in post-fall recovery, floor-to-standing transitions, and various role-playing scenarios [1]. When assessed, participants showed improvements in postural stability and floor-rise ability during and following intervention.

What the Study Means in Practical Terms

Falls are a major risk to older adults. They are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in those over 70 and a major cause of disability at nearly any age [2]. Although few people devote much time to playing along to their favorite Chumbawumba tune (“I get knocked down…but I get up again…” whatever happened to Chumbawumba, anyway), getting up and down off the floor is a skill many should practice more. 

And yet, our culture discourages getting on the floor at all after age five or so. They insist proper folks sit in chairs. 

Yeah. And proper folks complain about their aches and pains and inability to get down and play with the grandkids as they would like, too. 

I don’t know who still needs to hear this, but life isn’t Game of Thrones, and your seat isn’t sacred. Can we please stop damaging human health in the name of some made-up “propreity?” While yes, some folks will always find their favorite recliner their ultimate relaxation spot, mixing it up a little by enjoying your afternoon tea like the Japanese or meditating on a zafu deserves a spot in the old rotation if you hope to remain pliable and endure fewer injuries as you age. 

This recent study shows that taking a gentle, systematic approach in practicing how to get up and down off the floor can improve multiple areas of stability and functional strength. In practical terms, that means you’re less prone to falling and better able to recover if you do take a tumble. 

For the ultimate in floor-to-standing transitions, you might try a martial art. However, folks needing a gentler approach can often find exactly what they need to practice floor-to-standing moves on the yoga mat. 

Incorporating Floor-to-Standing Transitions in Your Yoga Practice

Floor-to-standing transitions play key roles in some yoga traditions. For example, the classic sun salutation is an example of a floor-to-standing move that gym rats have nicknamed “the burpee,” adding funky twists like weights, extra pushups and jumps into the mix. The Ashtanga primary series is all about floor-to-standing transitions, both forward and backward if you practice wheel dropbacks. 

Fortunately, you don’t have to be an advanced yoga practitioner or even regularly gravitate toward a more athletic style to incorporate a few floor-to-standing moves into your routine. Here are three you can do to hone your ability to bounce back from falls. All three improve your core and leg strength, sense of balance and even your cardiovascular capacity.

1. Sun Salutations

Sun salutations can be fast and sweaty or slow, simple, even sensuous. You control the pace. You control the variations you add. The most crucial aspect is getting to the floor and getting back up again, so start slow and use props like blocks or even a chair. You decide if you want to “graduate” from stepping to hopping forward and back. 

2. Yogi Squat

Here’s a great move for improving your leg strength, especially those around your knees. That said, you should use caution with this move if you have knee issues. I do — but I find the strengthening benefits valuable. 

Stand with your feet slightly farther than hips width apart. Your toes can be pointed straight forward or slightly out to the sides, but avoid going into too much of a “duck” stance. Sink your hips down between your knees, coming into a deep squat. If you feel especially strong, get back up without using your hands, although it’s normal to need them for assistance. 

3. Roll-Ups

Sun salutations get you up from a prone or face-down position; this one hits you from face up. Begin lying on your back. Bring your knees into your chest, holding on behind them. Rock yourself forward, bringing your feet to the mat and rising to standing. You may need to rock a few times to gather your momentum. Challenge yourself to go hands free, but please use them if you need them — remember, you’re practicing how not to get hurt. 

Get On (and Off) the Floor in Your Yoga Practice

You might not always consider the fall-prevention benefits of yoga when you talk to your mat. However, as a new study shows, each time you get on the floor — and off again — you improve your chances of a more injury-free life. 

[1] Gai, Shashank. “Floor-Hugging intervention: Findings from an exploratory study of a novel floor-exposure and post-fall contingency program. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. May 28, 2026. Accessed June 15, 2026, from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/rehabilitation-sciences/articles/10.3389/fresc.2026.1730161/full 



[2] James, Spencer L., et. al. “The global burden of falls: regional and national estimates of morbidity and mortality from the Global Burden of Disease Study of 2017.” January 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2026, from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7571347/