Seated Chin Tuck

Description

How to Do Seated Chin Tuck

1. 1
   Setup

   Sit tall in a chair with your back straight against the backrest or a wall, relaxing your shoulders down and back.

2. 2
   Setup

   Look straight ahead, ensuring your head is level and your chin is neither tucked nor lifted.

3. 3

   Gently draw your chin straight back towards your throat, as if creating a double chin, keeping your gaze fixed forward.

4. 4

   You should feel a gentle stretch at the base of your skull and activation of the deep muscles in the front of your neck.

5. 5

   Hold this tucked position for 3-5 seconds, maintaining normal breathing and avoiding excessive tension in your jaw or shoulders.

6. 6

   Slowly release your chin forward to the starting neutral position, controlling the movement.

Tips

• Visualize a string pulling the crown of your head upwards as you tuck your chin to maintain length through your cervical spine.
• Use a mirror when first learning the exercise to ensure your head moves horizontally backward, not tilting up or down.
• Focus on initiating the movement with your deep neck flexors, avoiding compensation from superficial neck muscles or shrugging your shoulders.
• Breathe deeply and consistently throughout the exercise to avoid holding your breath and tensing up other muscles.

Common Mistakes

• ×Tilting the head down instead of pulling it straight back reduces the effectiveness; focus on keeping your eyes level and moving only horizontally.
• ×Shrugging shoulders or tensing the jaw during the tuck indicates excessive effort; relax your shoulders and jaw, focusing the movement solely in your neck.
• ×Extending the head forward before tucking can exacerbate poor posture; always start from a neutral, upright head position.