What is Chin Tucking?

Today's world is more tech-reliant than ever before. Although smartphones and computers are great assets in our increasingly digital society, staring at these devices all day can put a strain on our neck and back.

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer, and that’s thanks to an exercise called chin tucking. In this article, we’ll discuss the basics of chin tucking, how to do different chin tuck exercises, and some results you can expect from regular practice.

What is a Chin Tuck?

Chin tucking is a simple at-home exercise that helps correct head and spine alignment. With a regular routine, chin tucks can even help increase your neck's flexibility and strength, as well as help alleviate any pain you may be experiencing. They can also help with headaches, chest pain, muscle pain in the shoulders, and numbness in the arms or hands.

People who suffer from back pain or neck discomfort may not realize that oftentimes it comes from bad posture. Bad posture is quite a common issue among people of all ages. It is especially prevalent today because many of us spend much of our day sitting and staring at screens. If you sit for a large part of the day with bad posture, your head and neck can start to feel the adverse effects.

Good posture means your head and spine are perfectly aligned. However, with poor posture, your neck and spine protrude further, causing discomfort. Fortunately for some individuals suffering from bad posture, it can be corrected with chin tucking.

How to do the Chin Tuck Exercise

As mentioned, chin tucking is something you can do without professional supervision, from the comfort of your own home. You can complete the exercise either sitting or standing. Here’s how to do it:

1. Look straight ahead with your head centered and your ears positioned over your shoulders.
2. Place one finger on your chin.
3. Push your head and chin straight back without moving your finger. Keep your eye focused on the finger to keep your head centered. If done correctly, you should feel a stretch at the base of your neck.
4. Hold the position for at least five seconds.
5. Bring your head and chin forward to your original position, meeting back up with your finger.
6. Repeat this process ten times.

Once you feel comfortable with the chin tuck exercise, aim to complete at least five sets per day. However, you can certainly do more if you wish. Regularly performing chin tucks can be a great reminder to maintain good posture and to strengthen your neck. It only takes a couple of minutes to complete a set of chin tucks. If you’d like to go the extra mile, you could also try out these neck strengthening exercises.

Space your reps out across the day, working around your schedule.  You can do a set in the morning, during a break at work, in the evening, and even before bed. For the best results, make sure to be consistent with your routine. It may be helpful to plan out your sets ahead of time to ensure consistency. Along with the standard routine, there is also an alternative chin tucking method that we will discuss below.

The McKenzie Chin Tuck

In the 1960s, New Zealand-born physical therapist Robin McKenzie famously introduced the McKenzie Chin Tuck, which continues to be a foundational treatment for head and back pain. The McKenzie Method corrects forward head posture and is a simple routine you can integrate into your daily life. The process for the McKenzie Chin Tuck goes as follows:

1. Stand up and place your back against the wall. Your back and buttocks should be touching the wall.
2. Move both of your feet slightly forward. The center of your skull should be pointing out and touching the wall.
3. Optionally, grab a piece of paper and place it behind the center of your head.
4. Perform the chin tucking motion. If you are using a piece of paper, it should slide up when you move your head back and slide down when you move your head forward. 
5. Do around 20 repetitions and hold your chin back for five seconds each time.

Results from Chin Tucking

There are numerous benefits to performing a chin tuck exercise. Along with pain relief, here are some of the results you can expect to see from chin tucking:

• Correcting forward Head Posture (FHP): FHP is when your head constantly hangs forward. It is one of the most common postural dysfunctions. If you suffer from FHP, chin tucking can help correct your posture and align your head and neck with your spine.
• Minimizing the risk of FHP: Along with correcting FHP, it can also help prevent it. By incorporating chin tucks into your daily routine, you can maintain an upright spine and avoid postural mistakes.
• Alleviating muscle tension: Chin tucks stretch your neck, back and face muscles, alleviating muscle tension.
• Strengthening muscles: Along with alleviating tension, chin tucks also strengthen the neck, back, and face muscles to help hold your posture in the correct position.
• Improving your overall posture: When you implement a daily chin tuck routine, you can improve your overall posture. Your head and spine will be well aligned, adding to your standing appearance and overall health.

The Takeaway

You should never overlook the importance of a good posture. After all, it improves both your appearance and your health. To help build the strength of your head or neck muscles, consider using Jawzrsize. Our innovative tool helps you achieve real strength gain in the head and neck area. Just look at our before and after results. If you would like to learn more about Jawzrsize and how our tool can help strengthen important muscles, contact us today.