If you’re a work from home employee, you probably have forward head posture.

Forward head posture, also called turtle neck, is a common misalignment where the head shifts forward and the shoulders round, slouching the upper body. Over time this puts pressure on the spine and tightens the neck muscles, often leading to headaches.

What causes FHP or turtleneck ?

Primarily caused by using a computer or laptop screen in a hunched posture, using a phone while bending your neck down to it. It takes months of wrong lifestyle habits to develop FHP. Also sleeping with two pillows or head elevated too high.

Many people develop chronic FHP because they are treated for pain and discomfort via painkillers and not for the underlying cause.

How to deal with FHP :

• Fix your ergonomics first :

These exercises will improve your FHP but recurrence is guaranteed until ergonomics is fixed.

1. Sit straight while keeping your devices at your eye level, keyboards at a level that your shoulders are not slouching forward.
2. Sleep with one pillow, so that your head is not very high.
3. Hold your phone straight out, use it with minimal neck bending and avoid using your mobile for a long time.

• Exercises for FHP :
• Most commonly recommended in clinical practice :

1. Chin Tucks :

Chin tuck is a very simple yet very effective exercise for forward head posture, it strengthens your neck muscles while realigning your head back to your shoulders.

• Simply stand or sit straight, gently draw your chin straight back, as if making a double chin, hold there for 30 seconds and then relax.

Perform this for 10 repetitions daily.

2. Shoulder blade squeeze :

This exercise strengthens the mid and upper back muscles helping in pain management and posture correction.

Sit straight in a neutral position with arms relaxed, lift off your shoulders and draw them back and down. Hold them for 30 seconds and then relax.

Perform 8 repetitions daily.

3. Neck rotations :

This exercise helps reduce the stiffness in trapezius muscles and restores full mobility.

Sit straight in a comfortable position, slowly turn your head towards the right shoulder until you feel a stretch, hold there for 5 seconds and perform the same for the left.

Perform 10 repetitions daily.

4. Chin to chest :

This exercise is crucial for stretching rear neck muscles and allowing full mobility.

Sit straight and bend your neck down so that your chin touches your chest, hold that for 15 seconds and then relax.

Perform this for 8 repetitions daily.

5. Isometric neck flexion/extension exercises :

After stretching and loosening the neck muscles this exercise is used for strengthening the neck muscles. It uses gentle hand pressure to resist movement for strengthening neck muscles without the movement of head.

It’s used in two variations :

1. Isometric forward bending on neck :

This variation helps in strengthening the frontal neck muscles.

Sit straight while keeping your dominant hand on your forehead, push your head backwards with your hand while trying to bend your neck forward without the movement of head or neck. Hold for 5 seconds and relax.

Perform this in 5 repetitions daily.

1. Isometric rear bending of neck :

This exercise helps in strengthening the rear neck muscles.

Place both of your hands behind your head and pull forwards while pushing your head backwards without moving your neck and hold for 5 seconds and relax.

Perform 5 repetitions daily.