Did you know your head weighs between 10-15 lbs, or eight percent of your body weight?
"For every inch your head goes forward, that is an additional 10 pounds of force on your spine," said Carol Green, OrthoCarolina physical therapist and orthopedic manual therapy specialist. "That is similar to what happens with the neck when the head is pitched forward."
Green spoke with our friends at Work For Your Beer about the dangers of poor posture and how spending so much time on our devices (phones, computers, tablets, and more) can contribute to pain and weakness of the neck, upper back and thumbs (aka “tech neck”).
Here are five exercises you can do to prevent tech neck over time.
- Say Yes: Sit tall and nod your chin toward your throat, not your chest.
- Drop the Blades: Pull your shoulder blades down and back by clasping your hands behind your back.
- Spread Your Wings: Stretch your arms out to the side and bend your elbows at 90 degrees, like football goalposts. Squeeze your shoulder blades together behind you.
- Switch Fingers: Try texting with different fingers to reduce thumb issues.
- Look Ahead: Think "tall" and bring your phone or device up to chest height. This way you can look straight ahead instead of looking down.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PREVENTING TECH NECK
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