Thumbs Up, Arm Up, Roll!

“My little ones arm is getting stuck when rolling – how do I help? ”

ANSWER – This is super common when little ones are learning to roll, but one really easy way to combat that & help them figure it out is to make sure their arm position is like this!

Ideally, we want THUMBS UP, which creates an ideal shoulder position to roll OVER, from an anatomical standpoint. If their arm is down by their side like first shown here- that creates a thumbs down position, which is pretty difficult to roll over efficiently (though not impossible!)

Making sure they’re thumbs up AND encouraging arm to be AT or ABOVE shoulder height will allow them to get their weight shifted enough to roll efficiently, especially in the beginning when their head often leads the way because it is the heaviest part of their body!

Then, as they master back to belly, that arm position also allows arms to be set right up in the perfect alignment for forearm propping, weight shifting and reaching! How cool right?!

Gently setting their arms in position is absolutely okay when they’re learning & will help it become a more engrained pattern- so think:

• THUMBS UP

• ARM UP

• ROLL!

If they’re still struggling right at the end to get that arm out and finish the roll, try gentle pressure down on their bottom towards their toes, which helps move weight from their head (the heaviest part of their body) towards their toes, and frees up arms!

Hope this helps!

Want More?

For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.

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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.