I hear it all the time… “my neck always hurts” or “my shoulders are achy and I’m not sure why?”
Imagine as you look at this picture to your right. Your head weighs 8 to 10 lbs. That’s like a bowling ball leaning forward, using muscles that were originally intended to keep you upright. Of course these muscles will get sore, causing other structural issues along the way! The best way to correct “forward head” posture is to stretch and strengthen the appropriate muscles and get yourself back into alignment. It’s important to practice this new position in your everyday workouts, and in your life. If you spend 8 hours always in front of a computer jutting your head forward, then you should expect spending at least a few minutes a day working to counteract this posture.
First, always start with a chest stretch. You absolutely should do this first as it will be difficult to access the back/ neck muscles if your chest is tight and pulling everything forward. Begin with this simple chest stretch to the left lying face up on a stability ball and hold it for one minute. Yes… it feels as good as it looks.
Then, you can move “static wall neck pusher”. Start by standing against a wall with the upper back and head against the wall, but the lower back in it’s natural arch (not touching the wall) and the feet 2 to 4 inches away from the wall. With the palms facing your body, push against the wall with your head and hands an hold this for a minute. While you hold it, think about how you are doing a GREAT job working to strengthen the upper back and neck muscles.
