Latest news with #tummytime
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Adults Need Tummy Time, Too — Here Are The Ailments It Can Actually Help Fix
If you're a parent, 'tummy time' is probably a familiar term, considered by many to be key to the physical development of babies. But now, tummy time is trending for adults, too. Getting out of your desk chair and spending some time on your stomach might seem awkward at first, but if you think about how long you sit in the same position much of the day — at the office, on the couch and in the car — it makes sense. Experts say it's offsetting the effects of tech neck and tight hips, too. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker spends 45% of the day sitting. In addition to sitting, they stare at electronics all day; 91% of Americans own a smartphone. Screen-based lives might be causing a variety of orthopedic problems. 'Lying on your stomach for 10 or more minutes a day while watching TV or reading can improve bad posture and relieve 'tech neck' — the strain in our necks and shoulders caused by looking down at phones and laptops for hours each day,' said Julie Landis, a physical therapist and ergonomist in Washington, D.C. Here's what to know as you consider getting out of your chair and down on your belly — a position that's no longer just for babies. What is tummy time? Tummy time is an activity in which new babies spend time while awake on their stomachs. There, they build multiple muscle groups and improve mobility as well as arm, trunk and neck strength. In a TikTok post from 2023 that has recently gained popularity again, physical therapist 'Sammy' on her profile 'unifiedptandyoga' focuses on how adult tummy time can help one age gracefully by achieving more mobility. She shows viewers a progression of lying on your stomach with multiple pillows under you, and then reducing the number, assuming pain goes away each time. She recently made a new video, noting her old one probably gained traction due to tech neck, a term used to describe the chronic shoulder or neck pain experienced from using technology. She showed some updated techniques in the video and stated that it's even hard for some patients in her clinic to get into that position on their stomachs — but it's important to be able to do. Tummy time can have an effect on tech neck. 'I've seen a noticeable increase in patients of all ages complaining about neck stiffness, tightness or pain, which can be linked to prolonged screen time,' said Dr. Ehsan Jazini, a spine surgeon at VSI in Reston, Virginia. 'The mechanics of looking down for long periods squishes our spinal discs, which I refer to as 'shock absorbers' of the spine,' Jazini said. 'Over time, this pressure placed on the discs can accelerate disc degeneration, pinch nerves, reduce mobility and trigger symptoms that radiate into the shoulders, arms and hands.' He said not addressing poor posture affects your spine's function in the long term. 'That strain can lead to chronic neck pain, stiffness, instability and pain throughout the rest of the body. If left uncorrected, poor posture can lead to wear and tear on the spine that's harder to reverse down the line.' Tummy time can impact hip and back pain. Adult tummy time also helps to open up the front of the hips and activate the core and back muscles, which are key players in everyday back pain. 'Many people spend far too much time sitting, whether at a desk, in a car, or on the couch. The human body was not designed for such inactivity,' said Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, a spinal and orthopedic surgeon at the Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care in New York and New Jersey. He fears if we don't change these habits we will soon see 'an increase in musculoskeletal issues across all age groups.' These include: Degenerative disc disease, where the discs between the vertebrae begin to wear down due to constant pressure and a lack of movement. 'This can lead to stiffness, pain, and even nerve compression.' Sciatica, occurring when the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed, often by a herniated disc or tight muscles in the lower back. 'People may experience sharp pain that radiates down the leg, along with numbness or weakness.' Tight hip flexors, leading to pelvic misalignment and lower back pain. 'Over time, this can impact your gait and make everyday movements more difficult.' Flipping onto your stomach can counteract extended sitting just as it does for infants, he said. 'When you lie on your stomach, you naturally extend the spine, which helps reverse the flexed posture that sitting creates. This gentle spinal extension relieves pressure on the discs, especially in the lower back, and allows the back muscles to stretch and activate differently.' In addition, you are able to open the hip flexors, which are often tightened and shortened from sitting too much. 'By relaxing into a prone position, the hips and pelvis can realign more naturally, which supports better posture when you return to standing or sitting,' Okubadejo said. So, your tummy time actually makes you better at sitting too. Here's what tummy time looks like for adults. 'The adult tummy time position isn't natural for most of us, so I recommend starting slow, and breaking adult tummy time into increments,' Jazini said. 'Take three to five minutes at a time, a few times a day, lying on your stomach while propped on your elbows. You should feel a stretch in the front of the neck, as well as in your back and in your hips.' Katie Breaker, a sales director in Denver, said she'd tried various seat cushions and stretches without much improvement in back pain. Then, her physical therapist suggested tummy time — simply lying face down for 10 minutes per day. 'No devices or setup. Just a flat surface, arms by the side, and a quiet room. After about a week of doing this twice a day, I added a thin towel under my chest and held it for fifteen minutes,' she said. Two weeks later, she could feel her back decompressing and had less hip tension and more flexibility. 'I could walk longer during event setups without fatigue,' she said. So, she kept upping her time and now does two 20-minute sessions per day, especially during long workdays on a computer. Jazini recommended pairing this practice with a screen break, too. 'Take five minutes to do something away from your screen whether it's going for a short walk, stretching, or grabbing some water.' You can work up to hourly breaks of around five to 10 minutes, setting a reminder or timer to stay on schedule. Breaker said: 'I still sit most of the day, but I do not carry the same tightness I used to. It has been the simplest thing I have added, and it has worked better than anything else I tried.' Related... Should We All Be Squatting More? This Surprising Posture Has Serious Health Benefits As You Get Older If You Notice This Sensation When Walking, Your Shoes Are Probably The Wrong Size Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Adults Need Tummy Time, Too — Here Are The Ailments It Can Actually Help Fix
If you're a parent, 'tummy time' is probably a familiar term, considered by many to be key to the physical development of babies. But now, tummy time is trending for adults, too. Getting out of your desk chair and spending some time on your stomach might seem awkward at first, but if you think about how long you sit in the same position much of the day — at the office, on the couch and in the car — it makes sense. Experts say it's offsetting the effects of tech neck and tight hips, too. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker spends 45% of the day sitting. In addition to sitting, they stare at electronics all day; 91% of Americans own a smartphone. Screen-based lives might be causing a variety of orthopedic problems. 'Lying on your stomach for 10 or more minutes a day while watching TV or reading can improve bad posture and relieve 'tech neck' — the strain in our necks and shoulders caused by looking down at phones and laptops for hours each day,' said Julie Landis, a physical therapist and ergonomist in Washington, D.C. Here's what to know as you consider getting out of your chair and down on your belly — a position that's no longer just for babies. What is tummy time? Tummy time is an activity in which new babies spend time while awake on their stomachs. There, they build multiple muscle groups and improve mobility as well as arm, trunk and neck strength. In a TikTok post from 2023 that has recently gained popularity again, physical therapist 'Sammy' on her profile 'unifiedptandyoga' focuses on how adult tummy time can help one age gracefully by achieving more mobility. She shows viewers a progression of lying on your stomach with multiple pillows under you, and then reducing the number, assuming pain goes away each time. She recently made a new video, noting her old one probably gained traction due to tech neck, a term used to describe the chronic shoulder or neck pain experienced from using technology. She showed some updated techniques in the video and stated that it's even hard for some patients in her clinic to get into that position on their stomachs — but it's important to be able to do. Tummy time can have an effect on tech neck. 'I've seen a noticeable increase in patients of all ages complaining about neck stiffness, tightness or pain, which can be linked to prolonged screen time,' said Dr. Ehsan Jazini, a spine surgeon at VSI in Reston, Virginia. 'The mechanics of looking down for long periods squishes our spinal discs, which I refer to as 'shock absorbers' of the spine,' Jazini said. 'Over time, this pressure placed on the discs can accelerate disc degeneration, pinch nerves, reduce mobility and trigger symptoms that radiate into the shoulders, arms and hands.' He said not addressing poor posture affects your spine's function in the long term. 'That strain can lead to chronic neck pain, stiffness, instability and pain throughout the rest of the body. If left uncorrected, poor posture can lead to wear and tear on the spine that's harder to reverse down the line.' Tummy time can impact hip and back pain. Adult tummy time also helps to open up the front of the hips and activate the core and back muscles, which are key players in everyday back pain. 'Many people spend far too much time sitting, whether at a desk, in a car, or on the couch. The human body was not designed for such inactivity,' said Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, a spinal and orthopedic surgeon at the Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care in New York and New Jersey. He fears if we don't change these habits we will soon see 'an increase in musculoskeletal issues across all age groups.' These include: Degenerative disc disease, where the discs between the vertebrae begin to wear down due to constant pressure and a lack of movement. 'This can lead to stiffness, pain, and even nerve compression.' Sciatica, occurring when the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed, often by a herniated disc or tight muscles in the lower back. 'People may experience sharp pain that radiates down the leg, along with numbness or weakness.' Tight hip flexors, leading to pelvic misalignment and lower back pain. 'Over time, this can impact your gait and make everyday movements more difficult.' Flipping onto your stomach can counteract extended sitting just as it does for infants, he said. 'When you lie on your stomach, you naturally extend the spine, which helps reverse the flexed posture that sitting creates. This gentle spinal extension relieves pressure on the discs, especially in the lower back, and allows the back muscles to stretch and activate differently.' In addition, you are able to open the hip flexors, which are often tightened and shortened from sitting too much. 'By relaxing into a prone position, the hips and pelvis can realign more naturally, which supports better posture when you return to standing or sitting,' Okubadejo said. So, your tummy time actually makes you better at sitting too. Here's what tummy time looks like for adults. 'The adult tummy time position isn't natural for most of us, so I recommend starting slow, and breaking adult tummy time into increments,' Jazini said. 'Take three to five minutes at a time, a few times a day, lying on your stomach while propped on your elbows. You should feel a stretch in the front of the neck, as well as in your back and in your hips.' Katie Breaker, a sales director in Denver, said she'd tried various seat cushions and stretches without much improvement in back pain. Then, her physical therapist suggested tummy time — simply lying face down for 10 minutes per day. 'No devices or setup. Just a flat surface, arms by the side, and a quiet room. After about a week of doing this twice a day, I added a thin towel under my chest and held it for fifteen minutes,' she said. Two weeks later, she could feel her back decompressing and had less hip tension and more flexibility. 'I could walk longer during event setups without fatigue,' she said. So, she kept upping her time and now does two 20-minute sessions per day, especially during long workdays on a computer. Jazini recommended pairing this practice with a screen break, too. 'Take five minutes to do something away from your screen whether it's going for a short walk, stretching, or grabbing some water.' You can work up to hourly breaks of around five to 10 minutes, setting a reminder or timer to stay on schedule. Breaker said: 'I still sit most of the day, but I do not carry the same tightness I used to. It has been the simplest thing I have added, and it has worked better than anything else I tried.' Related... Should We All Be Squatting More? This Surprising Posture Has Serious Health Benefits As You Get Older If You Notice This Sensation When Walking, Your Shoes Are Probably The Wrong Size
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
5 Common Mistakes That Can Slow Baby Development And What to Do Instead
Small shifts in your daily routine can make a big difference in your baby's first year It's easy to overthink baby development. With so many toys, classes, and milestone trackers out there, it can feel like you need to follow every program or get everything 'just right.' But babies don't need perfection to thrive. What they need is the opportunity to move, explore, connect, and feel safe. That said, there are a few common habits that might unintentionally hold back their development. They're all fixable, and knowing what to tweak can help your baby grow with more confidence (and less pressure on you). 1. Relying too much on baby gear. Swings, bouncers, and loungers have their place, especially when you need two hands. But when babies spend too much time in gear, it limits their opportunities to build essential muscle strength in their neck, shoulders, and core. Those muscles are key for rolling, crawling, and eventually walking. What to try instead: Aim for short, frequent bursts of tummy time throughout the day. Start tummy time on your chest and or with a small rolled towel under your baby's chest if they're resistant at first. Use a floor mirror to encourage them to lift their head and engage their core. Try side-lying play as a bridge to rolling. Keep baby gear short and balanced. No more than 20-30 minutes at a time. 2. Skipping floor time and free movement. The floor is where development takes off. When babies have the space to move freely by reaching, scooting, and stretching, they're not just working on gross motor skills. They're building spatial awareness, coordination, and the ability to problem-solve through trial and error. Ways to boost their floor play: Place toys just out of reach to motivate rolling and reaching. Create a safe 'yes space' with soft mats and minimal barriers. Use high-contrast toys early on and gradually introduce textured items for sensory play. 3. Missing out on face-to-face interaction. Your face is your baby's favorite thing to look at. These moments of eye contact, silly expressions, and back-and-forth sounds are powerful. They lay the foundation for language, emotional intelligence, and connection. Simple ways to build in more connection: Talk through your everyday routines like diaper changes, feedings, and walks outside. Imitate your baby's coos and sounds to encourage back-and-forth communication. Play peek-a-boo or simple interactive games. Use exaggerated expressions. Babies love animated faces! 4. Focusing only on physical milestones. It's easy to zero in on when your baby rolls, crawls, or sits up, but emotional development matters just as much. From the beginning, babies learn about trust, safety, and connection through how we respond to their cues. Every moment of comfort, eye contact, and gentle tone helps build a sense of emotional security. Try these emotionally supportive strategies: Babywearing and skin-to-skin contact for closeness and comfort. Predictable routines that help your baby feel secure. Reading books with emotional expressions and varied tones of voice. Singing, humming, or simply talking to your baby. They're drawn to your voice. Offering a calm, reassuring presence during fussier moments. There's no one 'right' way to connect. What matters most is being responsive in a way that feels natural for both of you. 5. Using screens too early. When you're home with a baby, screen time can be tempting. But for babies under one year, passive viewing doesn't offer the same developmental benefits as real-life interaction. It can also take time away from essential activities like movement, play, and connection. Alternatives to screen time: Play music and have a little dance party–babies love rhythm and movement. Offer sensory bins or safe household items to explore different textures. Read interactive books with flaps, mirrors, or bold images. Let your baby watch you go about your day while narrating what you're doing. Video chatting with loved ones is the exception; it's interactive and can help strengthen social bonds. The key is keeping screen time purposeful and limited in the early months. What to dive deeper into screen time and how it affects development? Check out this PedsDocTalk YouTube video that explains more. Final thoughts You don't need to be perfect or follow a strict plan to support your baby's development. What matters most is being present, tuned in, and offering opportunities for connection and movement throughout the day. By making a few small adjustments, like limiting baby gear, encouraging floor time, and reading books together, you're helping your baby build the foundation for lifelong skills. These small shifts add up. Development in the first year isn't about hitting every milestone early; it's about creating an environment where your baby feels safe, supported, and ready to explore at their own pace. Curious about which milestones to watch for in your baby's first year? Check out the free PedsDocTalk Milestones to Monitor guide. It offers a clear, supportive look at what to expect and when to check in with your child's pediatrician, without the pressure.
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Can adult tummy time undo the dreaded ‘tech neck' from hunching over a screen?
Among the overwhelming quantity of information new parents must digest is the instruction to ensure their child gets adequate 'tummy time' each day. As the name suggests, it refers to periods of lying on one's belly, which in babies serves to improve neck strength and prevent them developing misshapen heads. Not content with letting infants have all the fun, adults have now co-opted the practice as a means of postural correction. Online, 'adult tummy time' has gained traction in recent months, with videos filmed by prone TikTokers gaining millions of views. There are variations in practice, but adult tummy time usually involves lying, baby-like, on one's belly, passively propped up on elbows (the sphinx pose in yoga) or on one's hands (cobra pose). Other videos show static holds without arm support, in an arched Superman position. Various claims have been made about adult tummy time on social media, including that it can help 'fix' one's posture, alleviate neck and back pain, and undo 'tech neck', the hunched, head-forward position many of us inadvertently adopt while desk bound. Think of 'good posture', and the image of a soldier-like ramrod back might come to mind. 'There are very strong cultural beliefs about what good posture is,' says Prof Leon Straker, of Curtin University. But despite strongly held assumptions that a slumped posture increases your risk of neck and back pain, researchers say there is little convincing evidence this is actually the case. One study in teenagers, co-authored by Straker, found no association between sitting posture and neck pain, while a second – which tracked young adults over five years – found that, surprisingly, 'people with the really direct upright posture – which we normally think of as good – actually had slightly increased risk of pain'. 'The conclusion there is that posture is really important for function, but it doesn't link strongly to your risk of pain,' Straker says. 'We do have some evidence [in adults] that people that have neck pain do tend to lean forward as they're sitting at, say, a computer,' the head of physiotherapy at the University of Newcastle, Prof Suzanne Snodgrass, says. But association is not causation – it's unclear whether that forward head position causes the neck pain, or whether people maintain that posture because they have neck pain. Snodgrass says that when people are seated, 'there's certainly an ideal posture that we tend to talk about: upright, head sitting above your shoulders and not forward, shoulders above your hips, and not leaning forward'. But people shouldn't get too hung up on 'trying to stay stiffly in a perfect posture all the time, because that can be just as bad,' she says. 'It's quite important to move and to feel comfortable moving in and out of different postures.' 'Many people can have what would be called poor posture and have no pain at all,' the head of physiotherapy at the University of Technology Sydney, Associate Prof Bruno Saragiotto, says. He points out that back pain is more strongly associated with low physical activity, stress, emotions and sleep than mechanical factors. Extended hours in front of screens, gimmicky dolls made by office equipment companies would have us believe, will eventually turn us all into slouched Quasimodos. 'If you sit hunched for a long time, does your posture end up being stuck that way? I think there's some merit to that,' Snodgrass says. 'For a lot of the years of your life, you can reverse things by doing exercise and movement.' The rationale for adult tummy time 'is that if your spine is in the opposite position, rounded for a lot of the day, if you put it in that [extension] position, you're kind of balancing it out,' she says. 'Tummy time probably helps your lumbar spine [the lower back] more than it helps your neck.' But as for 'fixing' posture, 'it's not going to change how you sit – it's only going to move your spine in another way, to give it a bit more mobility when you're doing other things.' Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Saragiotto finds the idea of 'fixing' posture problematic, because it 'suggests that posture is a mechanical flaw, which often leads to over-medicalisation, anxiety and fear around normal posture variations'. 'A better idea is to build postural tolerance through exercise,' he says. 'Posture is dynamic and adaptable, and not something to 'correct''. For those inclined to spend more time belly down, Snodgrass advises trying to keep the neck neutral. 'There'll be some people that can't get up on their elbows because their back is too stiff, and just lying on the tummy with their head on the ground is a stretch for them … As you get a bit more flexible, then you can come up on to elbows.' Straker says that from a biomechanics perspective, 'it makes good sense for people to be doing a trunk, head [and] neck extension activity to counter the flexed activity that we spend a lot of our time in'. Though the evidence doesn't suggest adult tummy time will change posture or risk of neck pain in the long term, back extension positions may help to maintain range of movement, he says. He emphasises the 'need to start gently and progress it sensibly, so that you're not actually … creating pain by doing something that you're body's not used to'. 'There is no single ideal posture linked to pain prevention,' Saragiotto says. Although tummy time positions are low risk and easy to do, 'there are better interventions supported by evidence, such as … pilates, having a healthy lifestyle, and even walking.' In an office environment, 'having breaks and moving during the day is usually what will help more than having a perfect ergonomic posture,' he says. This article includes content provided by TikTok. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Snodgrass recommends several simple movements during the day. 'I would start with standing back against a wall, and really just working on pulling your shoulder blades back first. Also lifting through the lower abdominal muscles, so pulling them up and in shoulders back … And then just lifting your head nice and long, and standing tall.' 'At home, you can lie on your back, knees bent, and have your arms out to the side, like drawing angels in the snow … so that you're stretching your arms. That will stretch out that upper back as well, and while you're doing that, tucking the chin down to lengthen the back of the neck.' For strength, Straker also suggests exercises that involve lifting the head and neck against gravity, such as swimming. Any ongoing pain, the experts say, should be assessed by a health professional. Donna Lu is an assistant news editor at Guardian Australia Antiviral is a fortnightly column that interrogates the evidence behind the health headlines and factchecks popular wellness claims What health trend do you want examined? Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why Adult Tummy Time Is the Posture Trick You're Missing, According to Experts
Parents are already aware of the benefits of tummy time for their little ones. But tummy time can be good for adults too, according to wellness enthusiasts on TikTok. If you're not familiar, tummy time refers to the practice of placing an infant on their tummy for short periods while supervised, explains Jessica Lefkowitz, doctor of physical therapy (DPT), at Bespoke Treatments in NYC. 'This practice is essential for infants to develop postural strength necessary to be able to sit upright and support the head,' Lefkowitz says. This position helps strengthen neck and shoulder muscles that are important for good posture, she explains. 'Tummy time is a very important piece of a child's development and can be started immediately post birth by placing the infant on the mother's chest,' Lefkowitz says. But could this practice also help adults? Or is it just another ill-advised TikTok fad? We asked experts for their take. The practice is as simple as it sounds—you lie on your stomach with your elbows on the ground. Tummy time enthusiasts say it helps with posture and neck pain, especially if you work at a computer or spend a lot of time looking at your phone, which many of us do. When your head reaches forward, the center of gravity of your head also moves forward, putting stress on your neck in different directions, Lefkowitz explains. Adult tummy time can help alleviate some of the discomfort caused by sitting this way for hours, says W. Zach Smith, DPT, and owner of HIDEF Physical Therapy in Seattle. 'I personally do a ton of time on my stomach when I am hanging out at home and playing with my kids to help with a disc injury and improve the extension of my back. There's a ton of benefits to lying on your stomach and getting extension, especially after a long day of sitting in a flexed posture,' Smith says. 'It helps reduce the flexion-based posture that most people in tech or desk jobs are in throughout the day. Tummy time encourages extension of the hips, lumbar spine, and thoracic spine, which is great to battle the posture you are in when sitting.' It's best to start slowly. 'You will need to build up a tolerance to this over time,' Smith says. 'I usually do it while answering emails at night, watching TV, or reading a book.' He recommends trying it for 10 minutes a day and building up to what feels comfortable. (Some people do it for an hour or more, he says.) If that feels like too much, you can scale back. As with most things, consistency is important. 'The more time spent in these positions helps build resilience over time and can help individuals to sit with better posture,' Lefkowitz says. 'As people spend more time in tummy time, it can help open up the tightness people may feel in their chest by stretching the pecs. When chest tightness decreases, it will help reduce the rounded shoulders or slouched position that many people experience.' However, she cautions that people with certain conditions should avoid tummy time or consult with their doctors before trying it out. These include people with: back issues, such as spinal stenosis, advanced osteoporosis with risk of compression fractures, recent spinal surgery, spondylolisthesis, neck injuries, rotator cuff tears, women in the later stages of pregnancy, and people who have had abdominal surgery. And if you're not sure whether it's safe for you, then it's best to check with your physician. Read the original article on Real Simple
