Jul 14 • Movement & Mobility Tips
🌟 Rolling Beyond Babies: How Developmental Positions Shape Our Movement for Life
Ever wonder why babies move so effortlessly? Why they roll, twist, and push up without any “core workout”? It’s because they follow a brilliant, natural blueprint of movement that we often lose as adults. But what if you could reconnect to that same foundation to build stronger, more functional movement today?
In this post, we’ll explore three powerful positions — RT1, RT2, and RT3 — not just as “baby milestones,” but as adult movement superpowers. Discover how they shape your strength, stability, and freedom, and learn exactly how to reintroduce them into your daily routine or training.
⸻
🌀 RT1: The Head Leads the Way
What is RT1?
RT1 (Reflex Turning 1) is the first stage of turning development in infants, usually around 4 months. Here, movement begins with the head and upper trunk, while the pelvis stays quiet. This sets the stage for independent head and neck control and dissociating upper from lower body — foundational skills we need throughout life.
Why it matters for adults
✅ Looking over your shoulder when driving.
✅ Rotating to reach for something behind you without twisting your hips.
✅ Supporting healthy neck mobility to reduce tension and headaches.
RT1 helps us reclaim healthy cervical and upper thoracic mobility, crucial for efficient, pain-free movement.
⸻
🌊 RT2: Rolling from the trunk
What is RT2?
By about 4.5–5 months, infants enter RT2. Here, they begin using segmental trunk rotation, involving the pelvis and trunk muscles to roll onto the side. This phase represents our first real experience of diagonal movement and integrated trunk control.
Why it matters for adults
✅ Rolling out of bed.
✅ Throwing, swinging a racquet or club.
✅ Transitioning through twisting movements in sports or daily life.
RT2 restores our ability to move the spine segmentally, engage the oblique system, and coordinate the entire trunk — all keys to powerful, safe rotational movement.
⸻
🐯 RT3: Prone and Proud
What is RT3?
Around 5.5–6 months, babies progress to RT3: moving fully onto their belly and supporting on their forearms or hands with the head up and trunk extended. This phase builds strength for future crawling and sitting.
Why it matters for adults
✅ Pushing up off the floor.
✅ Developing strong plank and crawling patterns for trunk and shoulder health.
✅ Maintaining upright posture and spinal extension.
RT3 reintroduces global extension patterns, diagonal support, and scapular stability — all essential for daily activities and athletic performance.
⸻
💡 Beyond Baby Milestones
While these positions help infants learn to move, they also represent the blueprint for healthy adult movement. Many adults lose these foundational patterns due to sedentary habits, injuries, or chronic compensation strategies.
Reintegrating these patterns can:
✔️ Rebuild trunk stability and spinal mobility.
✔️ Improve coordination and reduce risk of injury.
✔️ Enhance athletic performance and efficiency in daily tasks.
⸻
💪 Practical Exercises to Reclaim Your Blueprint
🌟 RT1 Exercises (Head & Upper Trunk Dissociation)
1️⃣ Supine Head Rotations
• Lie on your back, knees bent.
• Slowly rotate head side to side, keeping shoulders relaxed.
• Focus on smooth, controlled movement.
⸻
2️⃣ Supine Reach & Look
• Lie on back with one arm overhead.
• Reach diagonally across your body and follow with your gaze.
• Keep lower trunk stable.
⸻
🌊 RT2 Exercises (Segmental Trunk & Pelvis Rotation)
1️⃣ Supine Rolling to Side
• From lying on your back, bring one arm across and initiate a roll to your side.
• Lead with the head and arm, keeping movement slow and controlled.
⸻
2️⃣ Supported Side Lying Breathing
• Lie on your side, supporting head with your arm.
• Focus on slow, deep breaths into your side rib cage, maintaining gentle trunk engagement.
⸻
3️⃣ Diagonal trunk Activation (Dead Bug Variation)
• On your back, raise opposite arm and leg.
• Slowly lower them diagonally, keeping spine stable.
• Return and switch sides.
⸻
🐯 RT3 Exercises (Prone Support & Extension)
1️⃣ Prone Forearm Prop
• Lie on your stomach, elbows under shoulders.
• Gently lift your chest and head while breathing deeply into your lower ribs.
⸻
2️⃣ Quadruped Rocking
• On hands and knees, rock forward and backward.
• Maintain a neutral spine, engaging the trunk gently.
⸻
3️⃣ Crawling (Bear or Baby Crawl)
• Start on all fours, lift knees slightly.
• Move opposite hand and knee forward together.
• Move slowly and maintain control.
⸻
🔄 Bonus: Rolling Flow Sequence
Combine the patterns:
1️⃣ Start on your back — head rotation (RT1).
2️⃣ Roll to side (RT2).
3️⃣ Transition to prone support (RT3).
4️⃣ Push to quadruped or sitting.
⸻
✨ Bringing It All Together
We aren’t just teaching babies how to move — we’re reminding adults how to move naturally again. These developmental positions give us a foundation for stronger, more efficient, and pain-free movement throughout life.
By revisiting these simple, primal patterns, you can restore your body’s natural stability and freedom, improve performance in sports and daily activities, and feel more at home in your own body.
1
0 comments
🌟 Rolling Beyond Babies: How Developmental Positions Shape Our Movement for Life
powered by
skool.com/movement-based-therapy-2420
Move smarter, feel stronger, live fully. Join a community built for movement, injury prevention, and peak performance—at any age or stage.
Suggested communities
Powered by