A forward, stiff head posture, known as the nerd's neck, is becoming more common. This is because today we have to move less than we use...
This can lead to a curvature of the neck, especially when working or playing games at the desk. During the hype surrounding the Harry Potter novels, this phenomenon was known among students as "Potter Neck" - readers just stared down for so long that their necks stiffened.
If you're a serious gambler or spend a lot of time hunched over for other reasons, it's more likely to happen. Constantly looking down at the smartphone can also lead to a "nerd neck". Not only can this neck position appear unattractive; it may even be painful or have other unpleasant consequences. We did some research and put together a few tips on how to deal with a nerd's neck.
When do you have a nerd's neck?
First, we clarify what this ominous "nerd neck" is supposed to be. The expression is – of course – colloquial and not a medical diagnosis. Therefore, a doctor will use different words. The terms “mobile phone neck” or “head position stretched out” are used synonymously.
Generally, the terms mean a forward-leaning posture of the upper back, neck, and neck. You can imagine that after the spine, the neck and neck bend forward instead of continuing in a straight line. It doesn't even have to be extremely pronounced; since many people work sitting and inclined, very few people have a "perfect" posture.
However, sometimes it gets extreme enough to be noticeable or even cause pain. Do you suspect that you have a nerd's neck – then we have a self-diagnosis option for you.
self-test
Find a wall and stand up straight against it. The feet should stand directly on the wall and the shoulder blades, in particular, must touch them. If you tense your body now and notice that there is a lot of air between your neck, neck, and back of your head and the wall, you most likely have a nerd's neck. Even if the angle between the wall and the body parts mentioned seems unnatural to you, you could have a problem.
If you experience pain and numbness, the solutions below may help; However, we recommend that you consult a specialist.
Get rid of nerd neck - the theory
If you've "diagnosed" yourself with incorrect neck posture, we have good news for you right away. With a bit of regular exercise and changing your habits, you can see improvements quickly.
The effort will be worth it, because: There are many disadvantages of tilting your head. This can lead to chronic pain if the posture is too unnatural and crooked. Numbness in the upper body is also a possibility in extreme cases, but this occurs less frequently. If you noticed the problem yourself, others have probably noticed it too. And, honestly, a crooked neck is not attractive.
A few exercises are enough to get rid of a nerd's neck. They are not entirely without effort, but unfortunately, medicine rarely tastes good. The more effort you put into it, the more success you should get - if the execution is right.
The exercises are all aimed at strengthening the neck muscles and getting the upper body used to a straighter posture overall. This is, so to speak, the "factory setting" of the human being.
The exercises also help to get the neck used to a straight posture. This means that the straight part of the spine should no longer meet a kinked neck, but continue as straight as possible.
You may have heard of the "cervical spine" - the human spine is S-shaped, but only in certain places. The neck is not one of them.
Get rid of the nerd's neck: 3 simple exercises
1. Stretch your neck muscles
In this exercise, you put yourself in the same position as in the little "self-diagnosis". You stand with your back directly against a stable wall. The shoulder blades should remain leaning. The upper back remains tense.
Then comes the hardest part: you take a pose with your neck, neck, and back of your head that comes close to the goal. The neck is as close as possible to the wall, the neck is stretched.
You adopt this attitude for a certain period of time. The training involves tensing the muscles. You can e.g. B. pull through regularly for 1 minute.
2. Chin bends
Chin bends are a real fitness exercise. You perform these on the floor, so an exercise mat or other surface may be useful. Here you can do 3 x 10 repetitions of the exercise.
After lying down straight, bend your legs slightly (45° between the back of your knees). The back touch the ground as completely as possible, for which it should remain tense. Then you “nod” your head slightly upwards. If you do this exercise, you can imagine that you want to get your nose closer to the ceiling.
But beware! The neck must not move but must remain still. The nodding movement comes from the neck, which should be straightened and strengthened. This can be difficult at first. Here it is important that you consciously pay attention to the execution and reflect. This is how you effectively reach the right muscles.
3. Stretch
In order to also tackle the causes of the problem, you should integrate stretching into your everyday life. Are you sitting B. with a hunched back at the computer or looking down at your smartphone, you can set a timer. After 60 minutes, you'll be reminded to do some stretching exercises. You can even do it while sitting.
One possibility: You take a stable sitting position, straighten your upper body and stretch your arms upwards. You hold this position for 30 seconds. Then you stretch your back and neck by keeping your upper body straight and stretching your arms backward at a 90° angle. You hold this position for 30 seconds.
Conclusion
A few regular exercises are enough to improve your neck posture. Stretching in everyday life starts directly at the problem, stretching the neck muscles and bending the chin is there to correct the bad posture. We hope our tips will help you stay straight in the future ;)
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