Taking care of that nagging Tech neck

I’m sure there’s plenty of people out there, besides me, noticing how much time we’re all spending looking down at our phones or tablets while emailing, texting and game playing? All this technical activity is proving destructive to our posture...and I’m not even talking about the eight or more hours per day many of us spend at a computer.   Keep reading and watch this 2 ½ minute video for some quick tips on how to overcome this new-age phenomenon known as “tech neck”.

It’s been often discussed that sitting at a computer for consistently long hours can cause our shoulders to roll forward, shortening/tightening our chest muscles and lengthening/weakening our upper back muscles.  Our modern day technical needs force us into a very hunched over posture and now the added burden of working on our phones is exacerbating the issue. 

When we hold our devices low in front of us, somewhere between waist and chest, we complicate this postural issue by extending our necks further, and for longer periods of time, than they’re designed for.  We force our necks to hold their weight against gravity (much like our backs as I discussed here, which brings us to the inevitable pain, strain and overall discomfort of “tech neck”.

As shown in the video, a good way to temporarily relieve this pain is to stretch.  To do this, simply isolate the spot of discomfort on your neck and elongate that muscle very slowly and gently.  You can place a hand on your head but do not apply pressure or force.  Just let the weight of your head and hand do the work.  Hold the stretch until you feel the release of tension (usually 20-30 seconds) and then slowly raise your head to an upright position keeping your cervical spine elongated.  Throughout this move please make sure your spine is straight, tall and supported through your core (i.e. good posture).

Speaking of good posture, another great way to minimize “tech neck” is to hold the device up and in front of your face.  You may feel a bit of fatigue in the arm muscles but as long as your posture is good, with neck level and shoulders down & back, that’s ok.  This technique has the added benefit of keeping your eyes forward, which may result in fewer pedestrian near misses.

So keep on sending those messages, even while walking if you must.  And as long as you’re holding your body and phone in the right position you’ll be one step closer to MOVING SMARTER and LIVING STRONGER.