“Ideally, the ears should stack over the shoulders. With tech neck, the head gradually migrates forward, placing significantly more stress on the neck and upper back. Over time, this often leads to rounded shoulders, increased curvature through the upper spine, muscle tension, stiffness, headaches and reduced postural endurance,” Lyndsey Meade, founder of BODY Hot Pilates and certified Pilates instructor, tells Parade. “The body adapts to whatever position it spends the most time in. If we're spending hours each day in a flexed, forward position, the muscles that support upright posture gradually become weaker while others become increasingly tight and overworked.”
Specialized physical therapists are trained to treat tech neck; they work to fix the underlying problems instead of focusing on short-term relief. You can also revisit your desk setup and make your daily working environment more spine and neck-friendly. Simple tweaks like raising your electronic devices and positioning them at better heights to avoid slouching can make all the difference in the world.
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“At the same time, the deep neck flexors, lower trapezius, rhomboids, serratus anterior and the muscles that support spinal extension often become weaker and less active,” she points out. “This creates a cycle where the body relies on the wrong muscles for support. The more those muscles compensate, the harder it becomes to maintain good posture throughout the day.”
The Best Pilates Exercise To Address Tech Neck
Instructors agree that the best Pilates move to address tech neck is the swimming exercise. And no, this exercise doesn’t require a pool!
“Pilates swimming is performed in a prone position (lying on your stomach) and requires you to actively lift your chest, arms and legs off the mat. This directly combats forward head posture by forcing the entire posterior chain to engage. It strengthens the deep extensor muscles of the spine while simultaneously stretching the front of the chest, effectively reversing the slumped, forward-head position,” explains Dr. Femi Betiku, DPT and instructor for Club Pilates.
Here’s How To Do Pilates Swimming
Begin by lying on your stomach with your legs extended behind you and your arms reaching overhead.Lift your arms, chest and legs slightly off the mat.Keep the back of your neck long.Alternate between lifting your opposite arm and leg in a controlled fluttering motion—as if you’re “swimming.”For most, practicing this exercise three to five times a week as part of a well-rounded Pilates practice can yield real improvements in body awareness, posture and upper-back strength within just a few weeks. Keep in mind that it’s more important to be consistent rather than perform hundreds of reps in one go.
Related: 5 Oblique-Firing Pilates Moves Instructors Never Skip
“The neck is involved, but ideally it isn't doing the work. Instead, the neck benefits because the surrounding muscles become stronger and better able to support proper alignment,” she tells Parade. “One of the biggest misconceptions about posture is that you need to constantly ‘pull your shoulders back.’ In reality, good posture comes from building strength and endurance in the muscles that support it naturally. That's exactly what movements like swimming are designed to do.”
How To Tell if You’re Genuinely Improving Head and Neck Alignment
The goal is to make lasting improvements to your head and neck alignment rather than engaging in a stretch or exercise that provides temporary relief. According to Dr. Betiku, temporary relief looks a little something like this: Your neck may feel a tad looser for an hour or so after exercising, but the tension quickly comes back once you return to your desk.
By adding Pilates to your routine, your entire body will reap the strengthening benefits—and your tech neck will thank you.
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Lyndsey Meade, founder of BODY Hot Pilates and certified Pilates instructorDr. Femi Betiku, DPT and instructor for Club PilatesHence then, the article about the one pilates move that actually helps with tech neck according to instructors was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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