Part of these sets

This exercise rarely works alone. It appears in the following routines, where it is sequenced alongside the others that support it.

The Desk Worker's Neck and Shoulder Set

What it works

Primary muscles

Deep neck flexors (longus colli, longus capitis)

Also involved

Suboccipitals, lengthened at the base of the skull
Upper trapezius, which learns to switch off

Equipment: None

How to do it

1
Sit or stand tall, shoulders relaxed, looking straight ahead at something at eye level.
2
Keeping your eyes level, glide your head straight back, as though making a gentle double chin. The movement is backwards, not downwards.
3
Stop where it feels comfortable. It should feel like a gentle effort deep in the front of the neck and a mild lengthening at the base of the skull, roughly a two out of ten.
4
Hold for five to ten seconds, breathing normally, jaw loose.
5
Release slowly and let the head return. Do not let it poke further forward than where it started.

How much to do

10 repetitions, holding 5 to 10 seconds each

2 to 3 times a day

Little and often beats one long session. Tie it to an existing habit, such as every time you sit back down at your desk.

Stop and get assessed if

Stop and get assessed if the movement provokes dizziness, pins and needles into the arms, or sharp pain rather than gentle effort. None of those are normal responses to a chin tuck.

Common mistakes

Nodding the chin down to the chest: The movement is a horizontal glide. Your eyes and jawline stay level with the floor the whole time.
Jamming the head as far back as it will go: Force defeats the point. This is a precision exercise at a two out of ten effort, not a strength contest.
Clenching the jaw or holding your breath: Teeth apart, tongue resting on the roof of the mouth, breathing normally. Tension here means the big surface muscles have taken over from the deep ones.
Shrugging the shoulders up: Let them hang. If they creep upward, breathe out slowly and start the repetition again.

Making it harder

If the seated version is hard to feel, start lying on your back with a folded towel under your head. The floor gives feedback and makes the glide easier to find.
Against a wall: stand with your back to it and glide the head back towards the wall. Touch, hold, release.
Once ten comfortable holds are easy, hold the tuck while slowly raising and lowering your arms, which asks the deep flexors to keep working while everything else moves.

Chin Tuck