Surprising Benefits of Tummy Time at Every Age
TLDR: Tummy Time is not just for Babies..!
Tummy time is a foundational exercise that prepares baby to reach all future motor milestones. And, Tummy Time continues to be beneficial throughout the lifespan. While it's widely known that Tummy Time directly benefits baby, the impact of prone extension (think a push-up position or the cobra pose in yoga) is often overlooked for adults. However, it’s equally crucial for reversing the effects of our sedentary, forward-hunched lifestyle by relieving chronic back pain, rebalancing muscles, and restoring functional movement patterns. Let’s break down why we all want to try to squeeze in some tummy time today.
Infancy:
Tummy time is crucial during the first year of life for babies to build neck, shoulder and core strength. Strengthening these muscles is essential to your baby to roll, crawl and eventually walk! When baby spends time on their stomach while awake and supervised, they also:
Prevent flat spots (positional plagiocephaly) that can develop from too much time on their backs
Promote visual and spatial awareness as they lift their heads to look around, learning to orient to their surroundings from a new perspective
Enhance tactile sensory development through direct contact with different surfaces and textures
Develop proprioceptive awareness as they learn where their body is in space and how to control their movements
Stimulate vestibular system development, which controls balance and spatial orientation
Improve hand-eye coordination as they reach for and interact with toys
Strengthen oral motor skills as they lift and turn their heads, which supports speech development
Build respiratory strength through the slight resistance of breathing against the floor
Experience weight-bearing through arms and shoulders that prepares for future skills like pushing up
Develop midline orientation and crossing midline skills essential for many developmental milestones
Gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment as they master new positions and skills
Learn more about Tummy Time: How to Get Started and Red Flags
Toddlers:
For toddlers (1-3 years), the prone positioning AKA laying on their tummy continues to be beneficial as:
It supports core, shoulder, and upper body strength necessary for more complex motor tasks. Strong core, shoulder, and upper body strength help toddlers gain independence (self-feed, brush teeth, get dressed, carry books, etc.), improve fine motor skills (draw, color, any attempts with early writing), and engage in play (catch, climb, push/pull toys).
It helps with vestibular system development. The vestibular sensory system is responsible for balance, spatial orientation, and coordinated movement, which ultimately helps toddlers navigate their environment safely as they run, climb, and explore and it’s foundational for later skills like riding a bike, playing sports, and even focusing attention.
It promotes “crossing the midline” or “cross-body coordination”, which is important for brain development. One’s ability to cross the midline indicates integration of both brain hemispheres, allowing for more complex thinking and problem-solving, and is essential for reading and writing, as these activities require eye tracking from left to right. Crossing the midline also contributes to coordination during physical activities like kicking a ball, riding a tricycle, or climbing
Some ways for your toddler to do “tummy time”: playing activities like "airplane", any crawling games, laying on their tummy while reading books, doing puzzles, or coloring.
Children:
School-aged children benefit from prone positioning through:
Core strengthening that supports good posture during seated learning activities.
Shoulder stability needed for fine motor skills and writing.
Development of proper breathing patterns and body awareness.
Some ways for your child to do “tummy time”: swimming, engaging in a child’s yoga program (cobra, sphinx pose), doing plank exercises, getting down on the floor for a crawling game, and laying on their tummy while reading, puzzling, or writing.
Adults:
As mentioned, the benefits of prone positioning extend into adulthood.
Counteracts the effects of prolonged sitting and "tech neck" (think bent forwards to work on a computer or while using a phone).
Stretches the anterior chain (chest, shoulders, hip flexors) that become tight from all the sitting and forward flexion we do throughout the day.
Activates posterior chain muscles (back, glutes, hamstrings) often weakened in our modern lifestyle.
Promotes better posture and spinal alignment.
Exercises like planks, prone back extensions, and yoga positions (cobra, locust) make fantastic "tummy time" options for adults. If you’re newly postpartum and have clearance to do so, we highly recommend getting down on the floor to lay on your stomach alongside your baby! We have a complete postpartum recovery plan embedded in OPTimize Postpartum so you can reconnect to your pelvic floor (even before your 6 week postpartum appointment!) and safely return to exercise throughout the 4th trimester.
Postpartum Relief: Tummy Time for Two
Are you a new parent experiencing neck, shoulder, or back pain while caring for your little one? The same prone positioning principles that are helping your baby thrive could also be helpful for your recovery. Our specialized physical therapist, Dr. Amanda, understands the unique challenges of postpartum bodies.
Take 15 minutes for yourself. Schedule a free phone consultation with Dr. Amanda. Your customized plan to relieve pain might just include a few exercises that you can do alongside your baby, while they’re doing their tummy time!
Your body supported your baby; now let us support you.
