A Better Way To Text That Doesn’t Kill Your Neck

A Better Way To Text That Doesn’t Kill Your Neck

We’ve already gone over the downsides of what constantly looking down at your phone does to your poor neck (hint: it’s not pretty). But rather than telling you to stop using your phone, here is a neck-friendly way to hold your phone for texting and checking how many likes you got on Instagram.

Image by Zawezome.

Kate Galliett, strength and conditioning coach and movement specialist, shares a few quick adjustments here:

1. Reset your arm position so that your skull can stay stacked on your head.

2. Learn to use your eye muscles for looking at things.

3. Bend your arm at the elbow and prop your elbow against your front of your ribcage, and have your phone propped up closer to your face.

A Better Way To Text That Doesn’t Kill Your Neck

As Kate demonstrates in the photos above, you’re essentially keeping your shoulders square, chest up, and the entire length of your spine fairly neutral — as opposed to experiencing the force equivalent of 27kg on your neck. For looking down, Kate suggests using your eyes rather than craning your neck forward to do so.

Since most people spend on average five hours a day on their phone — probably looking down on it — this simple tweak could do wonders for neck and shoulder tension in the long run. I have a lot of neck and shoulder tightness myself, so I have been holding my phone this way as much as I can. And since then, I’d even begun to notice when my neck starts to tilt forward like a little teapot, and correct myself. Head over to Kate’s article for other tips for helping to relieve neck and shoulder tension.

How to relieve neck and shoulder tension [Fit For Real Life]


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