Forward Head Posture
Headaches and neck pain whilst sitting at a desk is all too common. Humans just weren’t meant to sit for long periods of time. But, this is the world we live in so what can you do that is simple and easy and can help alleviate that headache.
First you need to understand your head is quite heavy. And by you I mean everyone so don’t think I’m picking on you. The average head weighs about 5-6kg. Go pick a 6kg dumbbell up. That’s your head!
Now think about your posture when you’re sitting at your desk. You start out with all the best intentions but eventually you end up with head forward posture don’t you?
Well here’s a thing. For every 2.5 centimeters your head sits forward from a normal position relative to the shoulder, it can increase the weight on the neck muscles by 4-5kg!
(kapandj, physiology of joints, volume 3)
So all of a sudden your neck muscles have gone from carrying a 5kg head to possibly a 9 kg head. Go pick a 9kg dumbbell. Make sense now why your neck gets so sore?
So what can you do?
There is a lot you can do to help alleviate this that can take as little as 5 minutes. I would definitely make stretching your upper trapezius, scalenes, sternocleidomastoid and levator scapulae muscles a priority. Like multiple times a day priority. Then after you have stretched these muscles you can also do this very simple strengthening exercise.
Chin Tucks
Essentially you are going to deliberately give yourself a double chin!
Here’s how to do it effectively though.
1. Standing or sitting, start with your head and shoulders in a relaxed position
2. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and keep it there.
3. Keep your eyes looking straight ahead as you tuck your chin in as far as you comfortably can while gently pulling your shoulder blades back and down.
4. Hold this position then slowly relax and repeat
Do sets of 10 throughout the day as needed.
This exercise elongates the back of the neck to offload the cervical nerves but also strengthens the anterior neck muscles which are key stabilizers of the spine.
Simple, kind of weird looking, but effective!
For more information on how to Prevent Back and Neck Pain at work visit the following article on mydeal.com.au by hitting the link below
How To Prevent Back & Neck Pain At Your Desk Job
See you in the gym!
Brad