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Chin tuck and nod

Also called: Chin tuck with nod

Primary muscles: Sternocleidomastoid

Secondary muscles: Splenius capitis

Joints / actions: Cervical intervertebral joints (gentle flexion with stabilization)

What it is

Gently glide your chin straight back, then perform a small, slow nodding motion — an active postural retraining exercise.

Purpose

Corrects forward-head posture and retrains the deep cervical flexors. Combines gentle flexion with postural awareness.

Starting position

Stand or sit with good posture. Look straight ahead. Relax your shoulders.

Step by step

  1. Gently glide your chin straight back (as if making a double chin) without tilting your head.
  2. You should feel the back of your neck lengthen.
  3. Hold the chin tuck for 1 second.
  4. Keeping your chin tucked, gently nod your head as if saying 'yes' — a small, slow movement.
  5. Return to neutral and repeat.
  6. Perform 12–15 slow repetitions, 2–3 sets, 3–5 days per week.

Breathing

Breathe normally throughout.

Coaching cues

Tuck, lengthen, nod slowly.

Common mistakes

Tilting the head or looking up/down; pulling the chin too far back; moving too fast.

Harder progression

Once this becomes easy (no fatigue by the end of 15 reps), hold the chin tuck position longer before nodding, or perform at a slower pace.

⚠ Safety note

Move slowly and gently. If you feel any sharp pain (not normal muscular fatigue), stop and consult a healthcare provider.

Sources

“The deep cervical flexors are key to correcting forward-head posture.”

Anatomy and Physiology 2e — OpenStax, Rice University · Ch. 11.6 Muscles of the Head, Neck, and Spine

Peer-reviewed textbook · License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Last checked 2026-07-19

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