Correcting Forward Head Posture with the Hip Hinge

Office workers and athletes that experience neck pain, limited shoulder flexibility, and mid back stiffness can utilize the following movement to restore their posture.

Training a neutral spine position removes the need to try to rigidly maintain a good posture at work.  It restores the awareness of where the head is in relation to the thoracic spine.  The hip hinge movement pattern strengthens the thoracic extensors – making it easier to sit with a neutral spine at work – without expending muscular effort or having to think about pulling the shoulders back or …

The hip hinge with a dowel or pvc pipe aligns the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine while training the hip movement needed for the deadlift.

The hands will be positioned at the neck and low back, while three points of contact are maintained throughout the movement with the PVC.  The three points are the back of the head, mid back, and tailbone.  If the contact point at the head is not maintained during the movement – this means that the head has come forward and the spine is no longer in neutral alignment.

Once the hip hinge with the vertical pvc and single leg version are improved, the athlete can progress to the barbell good morning and single leg RDL with kettlebell to load the pattern.  This allows for a nice progression that trains the central nervous system in spinal positioning, while strengthening the posterior chain, and preparing an athlete for a squat or deadlift.

Athletes should forget about “sitting up straight” and “pulling their shoulder blades back” – instead they should train functional movement patterns that instill good posture – making it second nature and a by product of strength training.

– Kevin Kula, “The Flexibility Coach” – Creator of FlexibilityRx™ – www.FlexibilityRx.com

Tags: core stability, forward head posture, hip hinge with dowel, midline stabilization, neutral spine, upper crossed syndrome, zoa