The chin tuck is a postural correction exercise that retracts the chin straight back, strengthening the deep cervical flexors and stretching the suboccipital muscles. It is the gold-standard exercise for correcting forward head posture and is widely prescribed in physical therapy.
Muscle Group
Shoulders
Equipment Required
Bodyweight
Type
Flexibility
Equipment
Band
Difficulty
Intermediate
Key Benefits
- Gold-standard for correcting forward head posture
- Strengthens deep cervical flexors
- Stretches suboccipital muscles
- Widely prescribed in physical therapy
- No equipment needed
- Can be done anywhere, anytime
How to perform
- Sit or stand tall with good posture. Look straight ahead.
- Without tilting your head up or down, pull your chin straight back — like making a double chin.
- Imagine someone is pushing your chin straight back into your spine.
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. You should feel a stretch at the base of your skull.
- Release and relax.
- Repeat 10 to 15 times.
- The movement is small — only 1 to 2 inches of retraction.
- Can be performed against a wall for tactile feedback.
FRONT VIEW
BACK VIEW
Traps
Primary