Physical therapists are on the front lines of encouraging “adult tummy time” to protect us from bad posture. This practice combats the growing epidemic of “tech neck,” too. This growing movement demonstrates the potential power of citizen action. They need to do more than simply focus on the risk from excessive screen time and sedentary behavior. Leah Verebes, a noted physical therapist, advocates for this practice to help adults counteract the negative impacts of modern technology on their bodies.
Adult tummy time involves spending time lying on your front for a minimum of ten minutes per day. It’s something you can do while watching TV or reading. This exercise builds strength in your neck and back muscles. It helps ease pain and strain from constantly looking down at devices. Joseph Hribick, a preeminent physical therapist, reveals the impact of this strain from tech neck. This posture can lead to pain in the head, neck and shoulders for many people.
Understanding Tech Neck
Tech neck is a new buzzword. It explains the tension we experience when we constantly bend down to check our phones or hunker over computers. This stance not only creates debilitating physical pain, disrupting the quality of life. Leah Verebes explains that “tech neck occurs when the head gradually tilts forward out of spinal position, placing greater stress on the upper back and neck.”
With screen time becoming a larger part of kids’ lives, the need to understand these questions intensifies. Hribick encourages starting small with workstation setup and posture to create significant long-term changes. He states, “Making small, incremental positive changes to your workstation, postures, movement, and exercise compound over time and lead to powerful changes in addressing ‘tech neck.’”
To counteract these effects, Verebes suggests that people work adult tummy time into their daily routines. The practice can be done in a laid-back way or incorporated into a more formalized yoga or Pilates practice. In particular, positions like those found in adult tummy time such as sphinx, cobra, swan and swimming are welcome additions.
The Benefits and Risks of Adult Tummy Time
Adult tummy time has recently been adopted as a positive practice, but not without some skepticism and hesitation. W. Zach Smith, who prescribes this intervention to patients, particularly those with disc injuries in the lower back, notes its potential advantages: “By going onto your stomach, you’re having to hold your head up against gravity, so that can help to strengthen the muscles in the backside of your neck and create a nice, supportive structure for your neck.”
Physical therapists warn that remaining in this position for too long can result in pain. Hribick warns that “staying in this position too long can potentially lead to low back and neck pain.” Try not to do more than 30 minutes of adult tummy time per day. Use that time over multiple workshops for maximum impact.
Adult tummy time may be completely unsafe for some people. Once pregnant women enter their second and third trimesters, they should not use this practice. Furthermore, people who have undergone spinal or abdominal surgery recently and those with osteoporosis should avoid it. Those with lower-back conditions such as spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease may find that adult tummy time exacerbates their symptoms.
Recommendations for Implementation
To get all the benefits of adult tummy time and avoid potential dangers, physical therapists recommend these strategies. Leah Verebes recommends scheduling movement breaks every 30 to 60 minutes during the day. This practice activates the back body, counteracting the pressure stored from hours of tv-watching or desk work.
Additionally, while sitting, he suggests to have your feet planted on the ground with your hips and knees at a 90-degree angle. These modifications can help to promote better posture, minimizing strain on the body.
Adult tummy time is gaining traction to counter the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Experts stress that it should not be viewed as the one and only solution. As Milica McDowell points out, “Tummy time is not going to fix your tech neck completely. It will help. It’s going to chip away at the iceberg, but it is not a panacea.”
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