Many of us suffer from excessive forward hunching in our upper mid-back due to sitting habits, stress, and poor posture. This leads to a secondary compression in the back of our upper necks when looking forward. As a result, our upper neck joints stiffen up and lose their natural range of motion and chronically tight muscles in this area often triggers tension headaches. The Head Hang exercise aims to gently increase the head and neck’s range of motion by restoring the length of tissues at the base of the skull. This exercise is a great way to remobilize this important area of your spine.
Description:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes forward, and align your body vertically with shoulders over hips and hips over ankles. Allow your head to tuck forward, bringing your chin close to your air-pipe. Keep your midback and chest tall while relaxing your shoulders into a backward and downward position. Slowly drop your head further down with deep, relaxed breathing, holding this posture for up to a minute. Alternatively, you can perform this exercise while sitting, maintaining a tall posture in your upper midback.
For an intensified version, place two fingers at the back of your head, slightly tuck your chin to your chest, and roll the head forward while pulling upwards and slightly forward with your fingers.
Dosage:
Gradually work your way up to holding for 60 seconds and repeat this exercise three times per day for optimal results.