Is your head protruding forward? Is your chin tilted downward or jaw feels tight? Are your shoulders creeping up and forward? That same tension could be at the root of your headache. This postural issue may lead to lifting injuries and recurring headaches. How do we straighten it up?
This position is called a “forward head posture” (FHP) or the “duck neck” posture.
FHP is technically when your neck pushes forward from the top of your spine. Every inch your neck pushes forward, it increases the weight on your neck by 4.5kg! Correcting FHP is achievable with some hard work and building new, positive habits.
- Bring your head to a neutral position: push your chin forward in an exaggerated motion
- Pull your chin back: Bring your chin parallel to the ground.
- Lift through your back of your sjkull like you head is a helium balloon: Imagine someone is grabbing the base of your skull and lifting it up
- Engage your lower shoulder blades together and down: Not too tight – we are trying to reduce tension, but you should feel some sort of muscle activation
How often should we do this exercise?
- Use common, everyday triggers to remind you to check in with your neck posture. Every red light whilst driving in the car, set a timer for every 30min at the desk or each time you sit to have something to eat or drink.
Some exercises that may help:
Subocciptal and Neck muscle release: https://www.sportsandspinalgroup.com.au/suboccipital-erector-spinae-release/
Pec Minor muscle release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVGDJbtpqFU
OA Release with Chin Tuck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMMa2NDvx1M
