Ask Lemmy

As a trainer, I see and help people with this a lot. First thing is you need to find out what's causing it: is it stress (stress causes certain muscles to tense that pull your head forward), too much computer (or anything that puts your hands in the same position with a stooped neck, like reading, typing, sewing, driving, phones, etc etc), general slouching, low muscle tone, bad breathing mechanics, scoliosis or some other osteo pathology, or some other condition? Once you know that cause, you can start working on eliminating it. As you lessen the cause, you can strengthen the muscles that counteract what's pulling you into kyphosis. Exercises that do this include face pulls, rear delt flys, rows, pullups and quadruped arm swings. There are others, and you will need to look at your breathing mechanics as well. You're probably also going to need to stretch your pecs and shoulders and neck. To make sure you're getting everything lined up, you would do best to find an experienced and knowledgeable trainer and/or physical therapist. Your basic meathead might not be as concerned or educated in straightening you out. Also be ready to commit to this for at least a year. Progress with ligaments takes 6-18 months, so don't expect results in a week. You could see a chiropractor or a rolfer, but there are so many quacks out there that I couldn't recommend it. One visit to a chiro could fix certain joints if you can't get your head all the way back, but more than 1 is likely unnecessary. Find some trusted professionals with actual schooling and they should be able to help you out. Good luck!