It’s a position that’s tech-neck-ly exclusive to babies.
Still, adults of the digital age — folks constantly staring down at their devices or hunching overtop a laptop — are now remedying their poor posture and troublesome “tech neck” with tummy time.
“Instead of scrolling [on my phone], sitting in a chair and looking down, I’m just on my tummy and I’m scrolling with my phone in front of me,” said Bek, a content creator, in a TikTok how-to.
“If you are having neck problems from tech neck [because you’re] looking down all the time, get on your belly,” she urged before closing the clip with an infant-like “goo-goo, gaga.”
Sure, it’s a little childish, but achy millennials and Gen Zers are happily stomaching the trend.
A scourge of the times, “tech neck” is any form of chronic neck or shoulder pain, soreness or stiffness caused by bad posture while using technology,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
“Bending your head forward at a 45-degree angle to look at a cellphone or tablet can dramatically increase your chances of having a tech neck,” warned the experts in a recent report.
The findings revealed that the average adult spends between three to eight hours leaning downward to gaze at screens.
“Neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability, with an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30%,” the insiders noted. “Most episodes of acute neck pain will resolve with or without treatment, but nearly 50% of those people will continue to experience some degree of fatigue or discomfort from frequent recurrences.”
The agonizing flare ups even forced a whopping 24% of workers ages 16 to 26 to call out of work in 2024. The throbs and twinges are literal pains in the neck, cursing young adults with “old lady issues” that may continue plaguing them into old age.
So, to avoid developing a Quasimodo-esque hunchback, twentysomethings and beyond are carving out time for a little tummy time.
For most parents, “tummy time” has long referred to the practice of placing a baby on its stomach — while he or she is awake and under supervision — in effort to strengthen the tot’s neck, shoulder and arm muscles. The position helps to improve the little one’s motor skills, per the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
And grownups claim it’s helping them too.
“To the person that suggested tummy time to correct tech neck, thank you,” raved influencer Megan Jo, adding that she “already feels a difference” in her body by spending more time on her belly. “Thank you.”
Sam Rus, a yoga instructor, also sang the babyish move’s praises, saying, “10 minutes a day will passively stretch your core and hips, increase spine mobility, aid in digestion and reverse the effects of sitting for long periods of time.”
Ari Viscera, a part-time New Yorker, scored 3.5 million views on her tummy time hack vid, championing the position for curing her “horrendous” posture.
“I got my journal and my book — my legs kicked up,” she gushed while on her front. “Let’s see what this does for my body.”
