{"id":40265,"date":"2015-06-03T07:15:09","date_gmt":"2015-06-03T11:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=40265"},"modified":"2025-04-24T11:16:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T15:16:02","slug":"text-neck-posture-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/tech\/text-neck-posture-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix Text Neck and Improve Your Posture"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s no denying that technology<\/a> has transformed the way we live, from how we communicate and share information to how we navigate through life (thank you, Google Maps!). In other words, we\u2019re glued to our devices<\/a>. In fact, according to recent research<\/a>, people spend approximately five hours every day on their smartphone, computer or tablet. And it might be taking a toll on your body.<\/p>\n

Chances are you\u2019re looking down at your device to read this article \u2014 head forward, shoulders rounded and back slumped, putting yourself at risk for the aches and pains now known as\u00a0\u2018text neck.\u2019 \u201cYou can stretch out and exhaust the paraspinal and upper back muscles from poor posture,\u201d says Dr. Jonathan Stieber<\/a>, orthopaedic spine surgeon and clinical assistant professor of orthopedic spine surgery<\/a> at the NYU School of Medicine. As the upper back rounds, the head and neck start to jut forward and out of alignment from your spine. No wonder your body hurts.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 No-Equipment Back Exercises You Need in Your Life<\/a><\/p>\n

We know there\u2019s no way you\u2019re ditching your devices \u2014 so what can you do about the pain? Read on to find out.<\/p>\n

How to Prevent Text Neck and Improve Your Posture<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Problem: Slouching
\n<\/strong>Your mother was right: Good posture matters. Pain related to technology use is often due to poor posture and ergonomics, according to Dr. Stieber. \u201cWhen you\u2019re sitting in front of your computer with a certain posture for hours on end, your body gets used to being in that position. It becomes your new normal,\u201d says Ryan Balmes<\/a>, DPT and board-certified clinical specialist in sports and orthopedic physical therapy in Atlanta. \u201cImagine if you\u2019re arm wrestling all day. Your bicep muscles will be strained and they\u2019re going to let you know that they are tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tilting your head forward 15 degrees places an additional 27 pounds of stress on the cervical spine.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While you usually don\u2019t see severe problems like herniated disks or pinched nerves resulting solely from overuse of technology, Dr. Stieber says it can exacerbate an underlying condition. And be careful when you go for your weekend run<\/a> or CrossFit WOD<\/a>. \u201cYour body may be shocked because you\u2019re bringing it out of the position it\u2019s accustomed to. You can be predisposed to injury,\u201d says Balmes.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 Ways to Test for Muscle Imbalances and Avoid Injury<\/a><\/p>\n

The fix<\/strong>: \u201cMake sure you have the appropriate monitor, desk and chair height for you,\u201d says Dr. Stieber. Can\u2019t buy a new desk? \u201cKeep your head is in a neutral position with your monitor at eye-level,\u201d Balmes advises. \u201cYou want to have the height of the chair so that your feet can rest comfortably on the floor and your knees are at or just below [the level of] your hips.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sitting up straight might not come naturally at first. \u201c[It] requires diligence, but more importantly, practice,\u201d says Balmes. \u201cAs with all things, active practice will help solidify proper posture as habit.\u201d One sign you\u2019re not doing it right: \u201cIf anything in your body feels achy or uncomfortable after prolonged use, it\u2019s your body\u2019s way of screaming at you to change position and find a better one because it\u2019s struggling to make your current posture work,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 Expert Tips for Proper Running Form<\/a><\/p>\n

Frequent breaks from the screen can help, even if it\u2019s just two minutes<\/a> every hour. \u201cUse the breaks as a reset.\u201d says Balmes. \u201cSet reminders on your phone or computer or use a Post-It note. These small cues can make a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Problem: Text Neck
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re one of the 64 percent<\/a> of American adults who owns a smartphone, look up now. Recent research<\/a> from Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, found that staring down at your phone can put incredible pressure on your neck and spine. Tilting your head forward 15 degrees places an additional 27 pounds of stress on the cervical spine. A 60-degree angle \u2014 the angle at which most of us view our phones \u2014 increases that stress to 60 pounds. That\u2019s like carrying around a seven-year-old on your neck. Tablets also encourage you to flex your head forward. And, with bigger screens, you\u2019re more likely to stay in that position for longer periods of time, according to Balmes.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Why Your Fitness Tracker Isn\u2019t Making You Thinner \u2014\u00a0Yet<\/a><\/p>\n

The fix<\/strong>: The easiest way to address text neck is to change the way you hold your phone. \u201cBring the screen to eye level so your head is not slouched forward or too high,\u201d says Balmes. \u201cThis way, you don\u2019t have to be in a forward-head posture for a prolonged period of time.\u201d When using a tablet, Balmes recommends buying a case that allows you to prop up the tablet on a table. To prevent stiffness in the neck, Balmes recommends neck rotations \u2013 look gently to the left and right, 10 times on each side. Try to perform these every hour throughout the day.<\/p>\n

\"How
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3 Posture Exercises to Balance Your Muscles<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Strengthening and stretching your muscles may also help alleviate some of that nagging pain. While a visit to a physical therapist can help guide your specific needs, Balmes recommends these three quick exercises to help combat technology-induced slump.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 7 Post-Workout Tools to Aid Muscle Recovery<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Shoulder Blade Pinches
\n<\/strong>This move will help to strengthen the muscles of the upper back, which tend to get lengthened and weakened when you slouch.
\nHow to:<\/strong> While sitting or standing straight, pinch your shoulder blades together and back. You\u2019ll feel the front of your shoulders roll back. Hold for a few seconds, release and repeat. Perform 10 reps every hour throughout the day.<\/p>\n

2. Pec Stretch
\n<\/strong>While slouching results in overstretched and feeble upper back muscles, it also leads to short and weak pecs, according to Balmes.
\nHow to:<\/strong> Stand in a doorway and place your forearms against the frame of the door, with your elbows at shoulder height. With one foot forward, draw your shoulder blades together on your back and gently lean into the door. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then repeat once more. Perform this stretch three to four times a day.<\/p>\n

3. Chin Tuck
\n<\/strong>A double chin may be a selfie no-no<\/a>, but it can be good for your posture. Chin tucks strengthen the neck muscles and help you pull your head back into alignment.
\nHow to:<\/strong> Sit up tall in a chair and keep your chin parallel to the floor. Without tilting your head in any direction, gently draw your head and chin back, like you\u2019re making a double chin. Be careful not to jam your head back. You should feel a stretch along the back of the next. Release your chin forward. Repeat. You can perform 10 reps every hour throughout the day.<\/p>\n

While the best advice is to take frequent breaks from your computer or cell phone, these exercises, along with improving your posture, are good preventative measures. \u201cIf this doesn\u2019t relieve your pain, know that your problem may be more serious and seek out a physical therapist,\u201d says Balmes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you stare at a screen all day, your body might be feeling the effects. Here\u2019s why text neck and slouching is becoming such a big problem \u2014 and how to address it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":40267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,10],"tags":[144,282,145,341,343,167],"class_list":["post-40265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gear-gadgets","category-tech","tag-injury","tag-stress","tag-stretching","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-technology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40265\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}