Sitting at a desk and typing for hours doesn’t help your posture, so I stretch my spine with yoga and exercise and take sufficient breaks to move my muscles. Instead of being hunched forward, it feels good to arch my back with certain yoga poses like upward-facing dog and exercises like the Superman. Superman is a bodyweight exercise similar to ‘adult tummy time’ — one of the latest viral exercise trends that’s a lot simpler than many others.
The Superman torches your core
With the Superman, you lie face down on the floor on a mat with your arms and legs extended. You lift your legs and arms a few inches up off the ground while activating your core, glutes, and lower back. You’re mimicking Superman’s flying pose in the air, hence the name. There are numerous benefits to this move, including engaging your erector spinae muscles in your lower back and building core strength and stability. It’s also an excellent choice for improving your posture and strengthening back and erector spinae muscles.
Some physical therapists are recommending a simple move that babies do, and TikTokers are also going back to basics with tummy time.
What is ‘adult tummy time’?
With tummy time, lie face down on a mat on the floor or on your bed with your legs extended, and prop yourself up on your elbows. Try to ensure your neck and spine are in proper alignment so you feel a stretch in your lower back. Try not to let your neck hang down and make sure you engage your core. Adult tummy time might not be the best choice for certain people with spine issues.
The benefits of adult tummy time
For babies, researchers have found that tummy time is associated with gross motor and overall development, as well as the ability to move while crawling, rolling, and in the prone position. Babies gain strength in their neck, arms, core, and shoulders from ‘tummy time’, plus, it’s cute to watch them stretch out on their little bellies.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing infants on their stomachs on a blanket on the ground when they’re only days old, so they can engage in tummy time. While there aren’t yet a wealth of major clinical trials on adult tummy time, this simple and natural move can certainly benefit us adults, too.
Stretching your spine and strengthening your core
Sitting for hours can lead to a muscular imbalance in the spine and tightness in the neck and back muscles. Tummy time can be one of the exercises to help stretch these muscles and reduce the forward curve and tension in the neck and back. Adult tummy time is based on established physical therapy practices and promotes spinal extension.
For me, it makes sense that tummy time is a good idea for your spine because it’s similar to other exercises and poses that have been proven beneficial, like the upward-facing dog and the classic Superman.
