Forward head posture will develop if you wear high heels or sit at a desk for most of the day. The muscle and bone structure of your neck slowly changes from an erect posture with your ears over your shoulders to a forward posture, keeping your eyes leveled with the horizon or wall in front of you. Forward head exercises strengthen your muscles at the back of your neck while stretches elongate the muscles along the front and sides of your neck.
Considerations
A forward head posture usually develops along with rounded shoulders and a hunched back. Exercises for a forward head posture are the same exercises that will also help alleviate these related conditions. A light, 10-minute warmup on an elliptical machine with moving arms will increase circulation to the muscles around your shoulders and neck, preparing them for the resistance exercise to come.
Neck Extensions
Neck extensions to strengthen the upper section of your trapezius muscle are done using a towel and your own resistance. This exercise is best done sitting at the end of an exercise bench or on a chair so you can focus on the back of your neck. Perform this exercise by first bending your head forward then placing a towel around the back of your head, holding one end in each hand. Extend your head backward until your ears are directly over your shoulders as you simultaneously apply resistance against your head. It should take you 10 seconds to straighten your head. Repeat for three sets of five repetitions.
Seated Rows
Seated rows strengthen the middle section of your trapezius muscle, helping to draw your shoulders back and your neck out. This exercise should be done on a seated row machine with the handle bars of the machine at the level of your arm pits; you may need to adjust the seat of the seated row machine to correctly position the handle bars. Perform this exercise by grabbing onto one set of the handle bar and then the other, pulling the bars toward you as you sit down. With your chest against the chest pad, straighten your arms in front of you. Then, pull the handle bars toward your shoulders, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Repeat for three sets of 10 repetitions.
Lateral Flexions
Lateral flexion stretches elongate your sternocleidomastoid muscles, which run from just behind each ear to the inner end of your collarbones. This muscle rotates your head and bends it forward and sideways. Do this exercise sitting down to focus on the muscle. First, bend your left ear toward your left shoulder and hold the stretch for six seconds. Return your head to an upright position and then your right ear toward your right shoulder, holding the stretch for six seconds. Then, turn your head 30 degrees to the left and bend your left ear toward your left shoulder; hold the stretch for six seconds then return your head to an upright position. Next, turn your head 30 degrees to the right and bend your right ear toward your right shoulder; hold the stretch for six seconds. Repeat these four stretches in the same order to stretch the lateral and front ends of your sternocleidomastoid muscles.
References
- "Equal But Not The Same, Considerations for Training Females"; C.H.E.K. Institute; 1997
- "Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Sandra Shultz, Ph.D., Peggy Houglum, Ph.D., and David Perrin, Ph.D.; 2005
- "Therapeutic Exercise for Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Peggy Houglum, Ph.D.; 2005
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