Tummy time is great for your baby's core

Tummy time is a great way to develop strength in your baby’s core and back muscles, which will eventually support them to sit up, crawl and walk. 

Babies and core strength 

When hearing the phrase ‘core strength’, your mind may immediately jump to images of people lifting weights in the gym, but it is much more of an everyday skill development than you may think.  

Core strength helps babies to carry out many movements and actions in their daily lives, such as rolling, crawling, sitting up and eventually standing and walking. 

Supporting core strength through tummy time 

When it comes to getting the most out of tummy time, and supporting core strength development, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends engaging your baby in interactive play on the floor.^[1]  

This can be tummy time, with added aspects and objects to engage your child (if you are stuck for ideas, we have plenty on the app – don't forget to check out your activities screen!).  

How much tummy time does a baby need? 

The WHO recommends that in their first year of life, around 30 minutes a day spent on tummy time is great for developing core strength.^[1] 

Some babies don’t immediately take to tummy time, so you could introduce this in small steps, starting with lying them on your lap for a few minutes at a time before moving to tummy time on the floor.  

Reference: 

[1] https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more