The benefits of tummy time for babies


If you're a parent or work with babies you'll have no doubt come across the concept of 'tummy time'; the NHS describe it as the time your baby spends on their tummy when they are awake. While tummy time is something that parents and carers can (and should) undertake at home, we offer a Tummy Time Instructor course so that families can be introduced to techniques to make 'tummy time' easier, varied and more interesting. 
Tummy time has many benefits and is, crucially, very important for a baby's development as it helps to build the muscles baby needs for sitting and crawling. Here we run down the main benefits of tummy time for babies and how teaching tummy time can help you share these amazing benefits with countless families!
Here's what we think are the key benefits of tummy time:
  • Builds neck and shoulder muscles
  • Strengthens other muscles in their bodies
  • Can help prevent flat spot forming on head (positional planiocephaly)
  • Promotes gross motor skills
  • Helps lifting of the head
  • Helpful for torticollis (shortening of the neck muscle on one side)
  • Helps prepare for rolling, sitting, crawling and walking
  • Develops hand-eye coordination
  • Helps strengthen the hand and extremities
  • Helps visual focus 
  • Helps develop eye tracking
  • Strengthens muscles of the jaw, throat and tongue and therefore enhances breast feeding
  • May help increase cognitive development 
  • Stimulates senses
  • Encourages independence
  • Encourages play
  • Can alleviate trapped wind, soothe colic and may alleviate constipation 
  • May help routine 
  • Develops baby's first language of touch 
  • Teaches positive, loving touch
  • Develops body, mind, awareness and co-ordination 
  • Helps to regulate and strengthen baby's digestive and respiratory systems and stimulate circulatory and nervous systems 
  • Offers skin to skin activity 
  • Offers opportunity for socialisation in groups 
  • Aids and supports development


Phew! That's an incredible amount of wonderful benefits. 
If teaching Tummy Time sessions is something you'd like to share with your community, take a look at our online distance learning Tummy Time Instructor course. It's self-paced, meaning you can learn around existing commitments and at a time that suits you.
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