You’ve just wrapped up an eight-hour workday glued to your laptop, shoulders hunched over and chin jutting forward as you bounced between spreadsheets, Teams meetings, and Slack messages. An hour later, you’re at the gym trying to crush your workout—but your neck feels stiff, your shoulders pinch during overhead presses, and your posture in the mirror isn’t exactly inspiring confidence.
Sound familiar? Forward head posture, often a byproduct of our deskbound and smartphone-driven lives, isn’t just a cosmetic concern—it’s a performance problem. As a chiropractor who works with women, I see how this sneaky postural habit affects everything from core engagement to upper-body strength. Let’s break down what forward head posture really is, why it affects your fitness goals, and how to fix it—before it holds you back.
What Is Forward Head Posture?
Forward head posture happens when your head starts creeping in front of your shoulders—usually from long hours sitting, scrolling, or even driving. Your neck muscles, which are supposed to hold your head up like a pedestal, get strained. Meanwhile, your upper traps, shoulders, and mid back start picking up the slack—and not in a good way.
Over time, this misalignment causes everything from chronic neck tension to reduced mobility, difficulty breathing, rapid joint deterioration, and early spinal aging. And yes, it affects your workouts, too.
How It Impacts Exercise
Let’s say you’re trying to nail a clean, overhead press, or finally master pull-ups. If your head is jutting forward and your thoracic spine (upper back) lacks mobility, you’re starting from a compromised position. This can lead to things like reduced range of motion in the shoulders, insufficient core engagement, neck strain, and an increased risk of disc injury while using poor posture under load. Basically, your desk posture is robbing your gym performance—and possibly your gains.
What a Chiropractor Looks For
When I assess women with these symptoms, I’m not just checking for pain. I’m looking at:
• The alignment of the head, neck, and shoulders
• Muscle imbalances (like tight pecs and weak deep neck flexors)
• Breathing patterns and spinal mobility
Let’s be super clear here—your chiropractor isn’t putting things “back into place.” Your body is a living organism, made to move and constantly changing. Your chiro helps the areas of your body that have become stiff or restricted move better; it’s about retraining your body to move smarter, not harder. And that is how we help you to heal—and how the right care can also help to optimize your performance in the gym.
What can you do today to help correct forward head posture? Here are my top three simple fixes that can help with your alignment.
1. Chin Tucks
Pull your chin back like you’re making a double chin, and hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times daily.
2. Wall Angels
Stand with your back to a wall. Bend your arms at 90-degree angles, press them against the wall, and slide them up and down like you’re making a snow angel, keeping your lower back flat. Repeat for two sets of 10.
3. everyday Ergonomic Adjustments
Raise your monitor to eye level to avoid looking down. Invest in a riser, or a few thick books will do just fine. Use a wireless keyboard and mouse, and sit back in your chair with your hips and knees at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor, or on a footstool.
Posture doesn’t have to be perfect—but it should be a priority. When you improve alignment, you breathe better, lift better, and move easier. Your workouts feel smoother. Your recovery improves, and you delay the changes associated with aging and degeneration. And best of all, your body starts working with you—not against you.
If your neck is “talking” to you after long workdays and workouts, don’t ignore it. Small, consistent changes now can prevent bigger issues later. Your spine (and your squat PR) will thank you.
Is Creatine Safe?
Absolutely! Creatine is one of the most researched supplements, and is considered safe for long-term use. And no, it doesn’t make you “bulky” or cause bloating (which is a very common myth). However, if you’re pregnant, are breastfeeding, or have a medical condition, check with your doctor before you start taking creatine.
Debunking Common Myths
As with many talked-about supplements, there are countless misconceptions circulating about creatine. The good news is that some of the biggest offenders are flat out false.
Many women worry that taking creatine will lead to bloating due to water retention. The truth is, when you initially start supplementing with creatine, your muscles may draw in more water. This can lead to a temporary weight gain of about one to two percent of your body mass.
However, this water is stored inside your muscle cells, not under the skin, and gives you that “built physique” appearance. Plus, studies have shown that creatine does not cause significant water retention: any initial increase in water weight tends to stabilize and is generally not noticeable.
Some individuals, especially women, may be apprehensive about creatine supplementation for fear that it will lead to an overly muscular or bulky appearance. While creatine can help with muscle development when combined with a strength-training program, it’s not magic. Building significant muscle mass requires consistent and targeted training and nutrition, and genetics can also play a role.
Speaking from experience, I can confidently say creatine has changed the game for me. It’s been a well-researched supplement for many years, far longer than many of us realize, and there are so many benefits for women who strength train. No gatekeeping here, ladies: it’s time to strongly consider using creatine to support your fitness journey.
Written by Dr. Chelsey Spano, Chiropractic Expert
Photography by Paul Buceta
Hair & Makeup by Monica Kalra
