Neck · Seated or Standing
Chin-to-chest stretch
Letting the head drop forward slowly until the chin comes toward the chest, for a stretch along the back of the neck.
- Hold 15 to 30 s
- Held stretch
How to do it
- Sit tall with both feet on the floor and your hands resting on your thighs.
- Slowly lower your chin toward your chest, letting the weight of your head do the work.
- Stop where you feel a gentle stretch at the back of the neck. Keep your shoulders relaxed.
- Hold, then lift your head slowly back to level.
How long
Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Once or twice is plenty.
What you should feel
A stretch down the back of the neck, sometimes between the shoulder blades.
Stop if…
- Pain, numbness, tingling or pins and needles, or dizziness: stop and do not push through it.
- Symptoms that spread into the arms or down the back.
Variations
- Standing. Stand tall and let the arms hang loosely.
- Gentler. Drop the head only part of the way and hold there.
Common mistakes
- Pressing the head down with your hands.
- Slumping the whole back forward.
- Coming back up quickly.
Use it in a routine
The stretch routine builder can play this with other neck stretches, with a countdown for each side and a chime at every change. The stretch break timer adds stretches like it to a break after each work interval.
Sources
Written from published guidance by health services, physiotherapy and ergonomics bodies. Last reviewed .
- Don't just sit there: exercises for the office, Mayo Clinic Health System
- Standing stretches for the workplace (video), Mayo Clinic (general stretching guidance)
- Desk-based exercises, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (UK) (general stretching guidance)
- Stretching at the workstation (PDF), New Mexico State University Environmental Health and Safety (general stretching guidance)