Chin tucks can be performed while standing or sitting. Here is a simple way to do chin tucks for a beginner:
- Sit upright and look straight ahead with the ears directly over the shoulders.
- Place a finger on the chin.
- Without moving the finger, pull the chin and head straight back until a good stretch is felt at the base of the head and top of the neck. (There should now be some separation between the chin and finger.)
- Hold for 5 seconds if possible.
- Bring the chin forward again to the finger.
- Repeat for a total of 10 times, or as tolerated.
In the beginning, it can help to have the finger as a point of reference. As the chin tuck becomes more comfortable to perform, it may no longer be necessary to hold up the finger.
A modification of the chin tuck that further emphasizes strengthening of the deep neck flexor muscles is to apply resistance with a hand placed under the tucked chin and apply light downward pressure into the hand, using the 5-second hold time approach.