When you engage the root of your tongue, it’s hard to look down.
Hi everyone, I am Yasuko and it’s time for Massage Monday. Your neck is supposed to have a curvature but when you have you look down looking at your phone or down and forward looking at your computer monitor hunched over for a long time, you are training your neck to lose the curvature and have a straight neck.
Average adult’s head weighs about 11 lbs or 5 kg. Every 1 inch or 2.54 cm your head moves forward, it adds 10 pounds or 4.5 kg to your neck. That’s a lot of weight on your neck.
This week I will show you a simple trick on how to prevent a straight neck and raise cheeks when you smile as an added bonus. The trick is to press your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
When you do it, touch the roof of your mouth with the tip of the tongue but do not let it touch the back of the front teeth. Then press the roof of your mouth with the rest of your tongue. And close your mouth with the top and bottom teeth slightly apart so they’re not touching.
This engages the root of your tongue which attaches to the hyoid bone in the front. When this is engaged, it makes it harder to look down. Try looking down with and without pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth. You will find it it’s easier without pressing your tongue. And it’s harder with pressing your tongue.
You don’t have to press it really hard. Use a strength like you are spreading a chewing gum against the roof of your mouth.
You can use this technique whenever you are looking at your phone or computer monitor. I know my head tends to go forward when I’m driving so this is a very useful technique when I go on a long drive to keep my head up straight.
As I mentioned before, this helps to raise the cheeks when you smile too. Try smiling when the tongue is touching the back of the bottom teeth. Or sitting in the middle of the mouth. And compare it with the tongue pressing against the roof of your mouth. It’s easier to raise the corners of your mouth and your cheek position is higher when the tongue is pressing. So the next time you smile or take a picture, remember to press your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
Massage Monday #569 – Simple Trick on How to Prevent Straight Neck and Lift Cheeks http://bit.ly/mm-569