Forward Head Posture: Exercises to Fix It Fast

Stand sideways in front of a mirror. Is your ear directly over your shoulder? Or does your head jut forward, with your ear in front of your shoulder?

If it’s the latter, you have forward head posture. And you’re not alone—it’s one of the most common postural dysfunctions, affecting the majority of people who work at computers or use smartphones regularly.

Forward head posture might seem like a cosmetic issue, but it causes real problems: chronic neck pain, tension headaches, reduced breathing capacity, and accelerated disc degeneration. The good news is it’s correctable with the right exercises and awareness.

What Is Forward Head Posture?

Forward head posture (FHP) is exactly what it sounds like: your head sits forward of your shoulders instead of directly above them.

In neutral alignment, your ear should line up with your shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle when viewed from the side. With FHP, your head drifts forward, and this changes everything about how your neck and upper back function.

Here’s the physics: your head weighs about 10-12 pounds. When it’s balanced over your spine, your muscles don’t have to work very hard to hold it there. But for every inch your head moves forward, the effective weight on your neck increases by roughly 10 pounds.¹

A head that’s 2 inches forward creates about 30 pounds of force on your neck muscles and cervical spine. 3 inches? 40 pounds.¹ Your neck muscles are working overtime just to hold your head up.

This is why forward head posture leads to:

• Chronic neck muscle fatigue and pain
• Tension headaches (from tight suboccipital muscles)
• Upper back pain (the muscles between your shoulder blades are constantly strained)
• Reduced range of motion in your neck
• Compressed cervical discs and accelerated degeneration
• Rounded shoulders (they often come together)

Forward head posture is closely related to tech neck—the strain from looking down at phones and computers. They’re essentially the same problem from different angles.

What Causes Forward Head Posture?

Screen time. Computers, phones, tablets—any device you look down at or lean toward. The average person spends 7+ hours a day looking at screens. That’s 7+ hours training your head to be forward.

Driving. Leaning forward toward the steering wheel, straining to see, especially on long commutes.

Poor workstation ergonomics. Screen too low, chair too far from desk, monitor too close or too far—all cause you to lean forward.

Weak deep neck flexors. The muscles at the front of your neck that should hold your head back become weak and inhibited.

Tight suboccipitals and posterior neck muscles. When your head is forward, these muscles shorten and tighten to hold it up. Then they stay tight even when you try to correct your posture.

Weak lower trapezius and mid-back muscles. Your upper back muscles that should pull your shoulders back and support an upright posture become weak from underuse.

Rounded shoulders. Forward shoulders and forward head usually come together. Tight chest muscles pull your shoulders forward, which brings your head forward too.

How to Test for Forward Head Posture

The wall test:

1. Stand with your back against a wall, heels about 3 inches from the base
2. Press your buttocks and shoulder blades against the wall
3. Does the back of your head naturally touch the wall?

If you have to strain or tilt your chin up to touch the wall, you have forward head posture. The more effort it takes, the more severe it is.

The photo test:

1. Have someone take a photo of you from the side, in your natural standing or sitting posture
2. Draw a vertical line from your ear
3. See where it falls relative to your shoulder

Ideally, the line should pass through the middle of your shoulder. If your ear is significantly in front of your shoulder, you have FHP.

For a complete assessment, see our posture self-assessment guide.

Exercises to Fix Forward Head Posture

Correcting FHP requires two things: stretching the tight muscles that pull your head forward, and strengthening the weak muscles that should hold it back. Do these exercises daily for best results.

Chin Tucks

The most important exercise for FHP. This strengthens the deep cervical flexors—the muscles that hold your head in proper alignment.

How to do it:

1. Sit or stand tall with shoulders relaxed
2. Without tilting your head up or down, pull your chin straight back
3. Think of giving yourself a double chin
4. Hold for 5 seconds
5. Release and repeat

Do: 10-15 reps, 3-4 times throughout the day

You should feel a stretch at the base of your skull and a slight activation at the front of your neck. Don’t push into pain—this should be gentle.

Progression: Lie on your back with your head on the floor. Do chin tucks, pressing the back of your head into the floor. This adds resistance.

Suboccipital Release

The suboccipital muscles at the base of your skull are almost always tight with FHP. They need to release for your head to move back.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back
2. Place two tennis balls in a sock (or use a peanut massage ball)
3. Position them at the base of your skull, on either side of your spine
4. Let your head rest on the balls
5. Relax and breathe for 2-3 minutes
6. Gently nod your head yes and no to work the tight spots

You can also do this with your fingers, applying gentle pressure to the tight muscles at the base of your skull.

Upper Trapezius Stretch

Tight upper traps contribute to forward head posture and neck tension.

How to do it:

1. Sit tall, grab the bottom of your chair with your right hand
2. Tilt your head to the left, bringing your left ear toward your shoulder
3. Gently add pressure with your left hand on your head
4. Hold for 30 seconds
5. Repeat on the other side

Levator Scapulae Stretch

The levator scapulae runs from your upper neck to your shoulder blade. It’s often tight and contributes to FHP.

How to do it:

1. Sit tall, turn your head 45 degrees to the right
2. Drop your chin down, looking at your right armpit
3. Use your right hand to gently add pressure
4. Hold for 30 seconds
5. Repeat on the other side

Wall Angels

This strengthens the lower trapezius and mid-back muscles that pull your shoulders back, which helps bring your head back too.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your back against a wall, feet a few inches out
2. Press your lower back, upper back, and head into the wall
3. Raise your arms to a “goalpost” position against the wall
4. Slowly slide your arms up and down while maintaining wall contact
5. Do 10-15 reps

Most people can’t keep full contact initially. Go as far as you can while maintaining contact—this will improve.

Thoracic Extension

A stiff, rounded upper back pulls your head forward. Mobilizing your thoracic spine helps.

How to do it:

1. Sit in a chair with your hands behind your head
2. Lean back over the chair, extending through your upper back
3. Don’t arch your lower back—the movement comes from your mid-back
4. Hold 2-3 seconds, return to neutral
5. Repeat 10-15 times

Or do this over a foam roller placed horizontally under your upper back.

Prone Y Raises

Strengthens the lower trapezius, which is essential for pulling your shoulders and head back.

How to do it:

1. Lie face down, forehead on a towel
2. Extend your arms overhead in a Y position, thumbs up
3. Lift your arms off the floor by squeezing your shoulder blades together
4. Hold 2-3 seconds
5. Lower and repeat 10-15 times

For more exercises and a complete routine, check out our 10-minute posture workout. For a dedicated neck stretching session, this Neck Reset routine targets the tight muscles that contribute to forward head posture.

Daily Habits to Fix Forward Head Posture

Exercises are essential, but they can’t overcome hours of bad positioning. You need to change how you interact with your environment.

Fix your screen height

This is the single most important change. Your screen should be at eye level—not below it. Looking down at a screen for hours keeps your head forward no matter how many chin tucks you do.

For laptops, this means a separate keyboard and mouse, with the laptop elevated to eye level. For desktops, adjust your monitor height or use a monitor stand.

Bring your phone up

Don’t look down at your phone. Bring it up to eye level. Yes, it looks unusual. Your neck will thank you. This alone can dramatically reduce the time your head spends in forward flexion.

Set up your car seat properly

Many people sit too far from the steering wheel and lean forward to reach it. Adjust your seat so you can reach the wheel with your back against the seat and your head against the headrest.

Check your pillow

If you sleep with too many pillows or a pillow that pushes your head forward, you’re spending 6-8 hours in forward head position. Use a pillow that keeps your neck neutral—not pushed forward or hyperextended.

Build awareness

Start noticing when your head drifts forward. Set random reminders on your phone. Every time you notice, correct it. Awareness is the first step to change.

How Long to Fix Forward Head Posture?

This depends on severity and consistency. Most people see improvement in 4-8 weeks with daily exercises and habit changes.

Week 1-2: Increased awareness. You’ll catch yourself more often.

Week 3-4: Exercises feel easier. Neck tension may start to decrease.

Week 6-8: Visible improvement in posture. Your head naturally sits further back.

Week 8-12: Good posture feels more natural. You have to think about it less.

For more details, see how long does it take to fix bad posture.

When to See a Professional

Most forward head posture responds well to exercises and habit changes. But see a healthcare provider if you have:

• Severe or worsening pain
• Numbness or tingling in your arms or hands
• Weakness in your arms
• Headaches that are getting worse
• Sudden changes in posture

A physiotherapist can assess your specific situation and create a targeted program.

Start Now

Forward head posture develops gradually, and it fixes gradually too. The exercises above take 10-15 minutes. The habit changes take awareness. Neither requires equipment or a gym.

Start with chin tucks. Do them right now—wherever you’re reading this. Then set a reminder to do them again in a few hours. Small, consistent efforts create lasting change.

Your neck wasn’t designed to support your head at an angle. Help it get back to where it belongs.

Related articles:

• How to Fix Bad Posture: Complete Guide
• Tech Neck: Causes and Fixes
• Fix Rounded Shoulders
• Upper Back Exercises for Posture

The Posture Workout app includes targeted routines for forward head posture with video guidance. Download it free →

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