How to Fix Forward Head Posture With 6 Effective Exercises And 3 Practical Tips

In this article, I will show you how to fix forward head posture fast and effectively.

Let’s see the definition of the forward head posture first, and afterward, we’ll move on to step-by-step process of correcting the forward head posture.

Bonus: 9 Most Common Questions About Forward Head Posture Answered.

What is Forward Head Posture?

Forward head posture, also known as “Text or Geek Neck” is a posture where your head is in front of your vertical body midline when standing or sitting.

Forward head posture is one of the common postural issues nowadays, and it usually comes with rounded shoulders posture as well.

What Causes Forward Head Posture?

Several things affect the appearance of forward head posture.

One of the most significant is your head, neck and shoulders posture during your day.

If you stick your head forward while using your phone/tablet/PC, watching TV, or during daily activities, you are one step closer to disturbing your upper body posture.

Some muscles will shorten while some will weaken over time, so there is a good chance that you will get your body used to forward head posture.

Here is a list of tight and weak muscles that cause forward head posture.

Tight muscles

Sternocleidomastoids
Suboccipitalis
Levator Scapulae
Subscapularis
Latissimus Dorsi
Upper Trapezius

Tight muscles are in the following areas: side and upper neck, upper back and between shoulder blades/shoulders and neck.

Weak muscles

Lower Trapezius
Serratus Anterior
Rhomboideus
Infraspinatus
Longus and Capitis Coli

Generally, areas with weak muscles are front side of neck, mid and upper back with rib area, and back of shoulders.

When the head and neck get used to this posture, it is difficult to return the head to the optimal position due to muscle discomfort.

Also, working at a computer for 6 hours a day further increases the chances of forward head posture.

The following two things contribute to the emergence of forward head posture and I will now explain how.

Posterior pelvic tilt and thoracic kyphosis lead to a compensatory reaction in the neck by increasing the neck curvature.

Thus, the head adjusts by subtly pulling forward.

How to Tell if You Have Forward Head Posture?

Here’s one of the easiest ways to test if you have forward head posture.

Stand with your back to the wall.
Stand up straight and lean your upper back against the wall.
If your head is not in contact with the wall, you probably have some degree of forward head posture.

See the picture below.

How To Fix Forward Head Posture With 6 Effective Exercises And Practical Tips

To fix forward head posture, you should change your regular posture when sitting and standing, as well as you should perform daily exercises to strengthen, stretch and relax the muscles of the upper body.

More specifically, you should work on neck, shoulder blade and chest muscles.

Let’s see the 6 most effective exercises for correction of forward head posture.

1. Supine Chin Tuck With Towel

Lay down on your back
Place a towel under your head
Tuck in your chin
Repeat 10 times or hold for 10s

2. Seated Chin Tuck

Sit down with shoulders relaxed
Place two fingers on your chin
Tuck in your chin
Don’t extend or flex your head and neck
Fingers are used as tool to follow head position
Repeat for 10 times or hold for 10s

3. Chin Tuck With Scapula Retraction

seated chin tuck with scapula retraction

Perform this exercise while standing or sitting
Relax your shoulders
Tuck in your chin
While holding that position, squeeze your shoulder blades (scapula retraction)
Hold for 5s and repeat for 10 times

4. Chin Tuck With Scapula Retraction And Shoulder Movement (W,Y, T, U)

Scapula retraction with W variation

Start from sitting position
Tuck in your chin
Squeeze your shoulder blades
Lift your arms forming the letter Y, T or U with your body and arms.
Repeat for 10 times.

5. Standing Chest stretch

Stand next up to wall.
Place your arm at the wall (like on picture above).
Rotate your body against wall while holding your palm at wall.
Hold for 30s.
You should feel the stretching in chest muscles.

6.Prone Y Lift for Lower Traps

Lay down on your stomach
Place your arms above your body, forming the letter Y
Squeeze your shoulder blades and lift your arms from the ground
Keep your thumbs pointed to ceiling
Repeat for 10 times

Practical Tips For Handling Forward Head Posture

Choose Your Pillow Wisely

Choose a pillow that is a little firmer and that will support the neutral position of your neck when lying down.

If the pillow is too high or too low, there is a high chance that sleep will be uncomfortable for the total relaxation of the neck muscles.

Adjust the workstation to Reduce Neck And Shoulder Tension

Adjust your work angle so that your head and neck are constantly in a neutral position.

That means that:

The screen is in line with your eyes
The screen is not too far away so that you cannot read the clear text on the screen
Your shoulders are relaxed when using the keyboard and mouse
The height of the chair you are sitting on is such that your legs are bent 90/90 degrees at the knee and hip.

Train more back muscles instead of chest muscles

If you do regular strength exercises or lift weights, it would be great to focus on the following.

Pull-ups, rowing, face pulls and back extension are exercises that have priority over bench press, chest flying, dips and similar.

The reason for this is that you do not want to further affect the muscle imbalance in the upper body (tight chest weak back) and support rounded shoulders or thoracic kyphosis.

Why Should I Fix Forward Head Posture?

Forward head posture can lead to:

Neck pain
Restricted movement in shoulders
Shoulder blade pain
Poor posture of upper body
Headache

Also, without treatment for forward head posture, the muscles in the neck and upper back remain weak and taut, leading to a vicious circle between muscle pain and poor posture.

Did you know that every inch your head protrudes in front, the load on your neck and shoulders grows by roughly ten pounds.

After a long time with head in protrusion, the neck becomes more exposed to conditions such as disc bulging and disc herniation.

To avoid any of the above conditions, you should work on your posture of the head and neck.

Forward Head Posture: Goals And Perfection

The main goal in forward head posture correction is to return the head position in line with the vertical midline of the body.

This position is most optimal for the functioning of the muscles, ligaments, and joints of the neck and shoulders.

By striving for a perfect posture, you bring your body to function most optimally while improving your self-confidence as well.

Therefore, you should think of posture as a never-ending process, not as an ultimate goal.

8 Most Common Questions About Forward Head Posture

Can forward head posture be corrected?

Forward head posture can be corrected with a proper corrective strategy that includes stretching, strengthening and corrective exercises. Daily exercising is an effective way to correct forward head posture.

What are the 5 best exercises to fix forward head posture?

The best 5 exercises for FHP or Nerd neck are chin tucks, shoulder blade squeezes, rowing, face pulls and chest stretches. Those exercises will help you combat rounded shoulders as well.

How long does it take to fix forward head posture?

After following the exercise program for ten weeks you can expect to see improvements from forward head posture, according to research.

Does sleeping without a pillow help forward head posture?

Sleeping without a pillow promotes better head and neck alignment. It will help you combat forward head posture.

Is it too late to fix my posture?

It is never too late to improve your posture because you will, in most cases, improve your posture by daily exercising over some time.

How do I fix my nerd’s neck?

Fixing a nerd’s neck is the same as correcting the forward head posture. Focus on daily exercising and holding your head tucked in when using a phone/PC or sitting/standing.

Can chiropractors fix forward neck?

Chiropractors can help you reduce muscle tension in neck muscles and improve your range of motion. But when it comes to posture, you have to work on your posture actively every day to correct and maintain a healthy neck posture.

Does forward head posture cause a double chin?

Since forward head posture pushes chin and fat under chin forward, sometimes it can give you an appearance of a double chin.

References

Author

My name is Trivo. I'm a physiotherapist and I enjoy exercising, learning new stuff in physio and fitness world, and sharing my knowledge and point of view in this field.