I Tried TikTok's "Floor Time" Trend and Now I'm Never Going Back

Get the Full StoryI'd never felt drawn to the floor. On my list of comfortable resting surfaces, I've consistently ranked it below an air mattress and only slightly above a row of airport chairs. Accordingly, I approached TikTok's "floor time" trend with a healthy dose of skepticism. The aptly named wellness practice involves - you guessed it - lying on the floor. The #floortime hashtag has amassed millions of views on the platform, where users are posting videos of themselves sprawled on carpet, tile, and linoleum to a chorus of approving comments.

"Floor time is the best part of the day 'cause when there is a tornado in your mind it makes it disappear," one user comments. "Floor time is free therapy," adds another. "Floor time makes me instantly feel sm better," a third commenter proclaims.

Unlike some of the other internet fads I've fallen victim to anyone else try and fail to laminate their eyebrows? , floor time seemed relatively harmless. In the name of science, I decided to go all the way down.

Experts Featured in This Article

Michelle Young is a yoga therapist and founder of My Vinyasa Practice in Austin, Texas.

Alan Fogel is a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Utah and the author of Restorative Embodiment and Resilience.

Katy Bowman is a biomechanist and founder of Nutritious Movement, and author of "My Perfect Movement Plan: The Move Your DNA All Day Workbook" and the forthcoming "I Know I Should Exercise But...44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them."

My Experience on the Floor

On day one of my floor-time experiment, I kicked off my shoes, set a timer for five minutes, grabbed a blanket, and stretched out on the carpeted floor of my apartment. Off the bat, I was surprised about how good lying flat on my back felt - particularly after sitting in a chair all day. Wrapped in a blanket, I was a warm and safe floor burrito. When my five-minute timer went off, I found myself wanting to linger on the floor a little longer.

Then, there was the floor-time afterglow: Returning to my computer after my supine sesh, I felt refreshed. My eyes felt less screen-fatigued. My lower back felt less achy. The half-finished assignment I was staring at felt less daunting.

On day two, I extended my time on the ground from five to 10 minutes. By day three, I was excited for floor time. By day four, I was a floor-time convert.

A Brief History of Floor Time

I may be a recent floor-time recruit, but the practice of lying on the earth to calm the body and mind is nothing new. Yogis have been lying supine in Shavasana or "Corpse" pose for centuries, with the earliest known mention appearing in the 15th-century text "Hatha Yoga Pradipika." The text describes Shavasana as "lying flat on the ground with the face upwards, in the manner of a dead body to remove tiredness and enable the mind and whole body to relax."

The practice of lying in Corpse pose continues at modern yoga studios, says yoga therapist Michelle Young. "We intentionally invite 'appropriate stress' when we practice yoga," Young explains. "At the end of that appropriate stress, we give ourselves time to relax in Shavasana."

The Benefits of Floor Time

While research into lying on the floor is limited, experts agree the practice has benefits. Below, the three ways floor time can improve your mental and physical health.

Floor Time Can Help Calm the Body

Lying on your back on the ground can help your body transition from the sympathetic flight or fight state to the parasympathetic rest and digest state, according to Young. The parasympathetic nervous system controls the body's ability to relax. It can be activated by activities like deep breathing, exercise, and meditation.

Shavasana can be beneficial anytime the body experiences stress, whether it is "appropriate" stress from yoga or regular ol' unwelcome stress from a long commute or cryptic email from your boss, Young adds. Young has witnessed the benefits of floor time firsthand. "I use a lot of bio-trackers, and I see a tremendous impact on my stress levels and cardiovascular health when I take time to integrate Shavasasana into my daily routine," she says.

Floor Time Can Calm the Mind

In addition to calming our body's stress response, stretching out on the floor can ease a worrying mind, says Alan Fogel, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Utah. "The floor is harder than a bed; we have to really pay attention to our body sense to get comfortable," Fogel says. "Once we do that, we can notice that our breath gets easier and less effortful, our muscles can finally let go and sink into the floor, and a sense of contentment or ease can arrive," he says.

Floor Time is Good For Your Body

Lying on the floor might not feel as nice as a long massage. Still, it can deliver similar pain-relief and circulation benefits, says Katy Bowman, founder of Nutritious Movement. "The pressure a firmer surface creates can have a similar effect to a skillful massage , like breaking up stiff tissue. A firmer surface requires your body to form to the floor, so stiff parts have to get moving."

Getting up and down from the floor also builds important mobility and strength, Bowman says. "One of the challenges to getting onto the floor is that the hinges in the ankles, knees, hips, and spine have to articulate," Bowman says. "These parts need to be mobile and strong to get to and from the floor." Lying on the ground can get these parts moving at least twice a day.

Tips For Making the Most of Floor Time

To reap the physical and mental benefits of floor time, try to carve out 10 to 15 minutes of your day for the practice, Young advises. If you have trouble lying comfortably on the floor, use a blanket, pillow, or other prop to get cozier, she suggests. And if you lie on the floor and your mind races to a billion things you need to do? You're not alone.

"For a lot of people, lying on the floor is difficult because the mind is racing," Young says. She suggests practicing progressive Muscle Relaxation PMR , a technique that involves progressively tensing and releasing muscle groups to ease a jittery mind and body.

As for me? Three weeks after starting my floor time experiment, I'm still dropping to the ground whenever I need a quick reset. I sprawl out my carpet in between meetings, after eating lunch, and to celebrate finishing an article. Don't get me wrong - floor time isn't always easy. Sometimes I squirm around on the floor for two minutes before giving up and popping back up. Sometimes I doze off. Sometimes my dog comes and licks my face.

However, more often than not, my carpet breaks give me a quick, bite-sized mood and energy boost. On a few occasions, I even think up a great idea while lying on the floor. For example: nap cafes with hammocks, sofas, and beanbags for taking naps. In fact, that's my cue - excuse me, I've got a date with my floor.

Mar a Cristina Lalonde is a freelance journalist and aspiring kickboxing champion. She has written about sexual health, fitness, and wellness for over a decade. Her articles have appeared in, among other publications, the Houston Chronicle, Everyday Health, Giddy, and U.S. News & World Report.

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