According to a New Wellness Trend, Adults Should Be Doing Tummy Time Too

New parents everywhere know the importance of tummy time. That's because just about every medical professional agrees that putting your baby on their stomach for a designated period of time each day can help them to develop the core strength and motor skills that are needed to develop those gross motor functions that allow them to do things like rollover, sit up, and even walk.

However, a new trend on social media claims that adults should be doing tummy time as well.

That's because they claim that there are benefits to adult tummy time sessions, and that it can fix everything from tech neck to poor posture. But, does it actually have any measurable effects on anyone over the age of six months? Keep reading to find out.

According to Bustle, there is a lot of advice on TikTok right now claiming that the equivalent of adult tummy time can cure what ails you. That's because many influencers are saying that the stretches and positions that babies are put into when they are practicing tummy time can also target areas where adults experience frequent pain, including the upper back and shoulders.

Additionally, these TikTokers claim that the exercises can help with posture, giving you a more upright stance.

According to a chiropractor who spoke with the publication, these influencers are onto something. That's because Dr. Mark El-Hayek says that lying on your stomach can help your back reset, since the tummy time position helps work a variety of muscles need to improve posture and reduce neck strain.

“Most of the extension that happens in this [tummy time] position comes from the lower back, not the neck,” El-Hayek explains.

When you're lying down in that position, you can "interrupt" the downward facing position that most of us find ourselves in all day as we look at our computers and phones, which El-Hayek says can lead to long term improvement when it's done every day.

One of the reasons so many people are latching onto the TikTok cure for neck strain and poor posture is because of the rise of a condition known as tech neck. This is the name given to what medical experts say happens when we spend hours of our day in a slouched position with our head facing down.

“When the head shifts forward, the natural C-shaped curve in the neck starts to straighten,” El-Hayek explained.

“This transfers pressure to the surrounding muscles, especially the traps and suboccipitals, which were never designed to carry that load all day," He continues, adding that the prolonged strain of being in this position is what is responsible for the neck pain, headaches, and shoulder pain people associate with tech neck.

Fortunately, El-Hayek believes that adult tummy time can help, and he even has a pretty solid tip for anyone looking to give it a try.

The next time you 're reading a book or scrolling on the phone, El-Hayek says you should lay down on your stomach on your floor or bed, propping yourself up on your elbows while you hold whatever it is that you're looking at.

This will force your head back, and pull your neck out of that C-shaped curve that gets it into so much trouble in the first place, offering you a bit of relief while you relax.