Brugger’s Posture: A Simple Fix for Forward Head & Rounded Shoulders

If you spend long hours sitting at a desk, driving, or scrolling on your phone, you may be familiar with the dreaded Forward Head and Rounded Shoulders posture. Over time, this posture can lead to neck pain, headaches, shoulder tension, and even numbness or tingling in the arms [1].

The good news? A simple exercise called Brugger’s Posture can help retrain your body, strengthen weak muscles, and relieve the daily stress caused by poor posture.

Why Brugger’s Posture Works

Brugger’s Posture is a corrective exercise that:

• Strengthens the mid- and upper-back muscles

• Opens the chest and thoracic outlet (reducing nerve compression)

• Brings the shoulder blades back into a neutral, healthy position

• Relaxes tight muscles caused by slouching or forward head posture

When practiced consistently, this exercise can restore balance between overworked and underused muscles, making it easier to sit and stand tall without strain [2].

How to Perform Brugger’s Posture

1. ​​Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the ground.

2. Spread your legs slightly apart and point your toes outward.

3. Tilt your pelvis forward to restore the natural curve in your lower back.

4. Lift your chest upward as if creating space between your ribs.

5. Pull your chin straight back (yes, this creates a temporary double chin!).

6. Roll your shoulders back and down, as though sliding your shoulder blades into your back pockets.

7. Turn your palms forward and extend your arms slightly out to the sides.

8. Hold this position for 10 seconds, or repeat several times throughout the day.

Tip: To make this more challenging, try it while sitting on an exercise ball or add a light resistance band around your hands for extra upper-back activation.

✅ Posture Reset Tips

• Sit tall at the edge of your chair

• Keep feet flat, toes slightly outward

• Chest up, chin tucked back

• Shoulders rolled down & back

• Palms facing forward

• Hold 10 seconds, repeat often

  
  

When to Use Brugger’s Posture

This posture reset is perfect for:

• Desk workers who sit for long hours

• Students spending time on laptops or tablets

• Drivers or commuters

• Anyone noticing rounded shoulders or forward head posture

Try practicing it every 30–60 minutes as a quick “reset” during your workday.

The Takeaway

Brugger’s Posture is a simple but powerful way to combat modern-day posture problems. By strengthening the right muscles and opening up tight areas, you can reduce pain, improve spinal alignment, and protect your long-term musculoskeletal health.

References

1. Moore MK. Upper crossed syndrome and its relationship to cervicogenic headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2004;27(6):414–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2004.05.007

2. Southerst D, Nordin MC, Côté P, Shearer HM, Varatharajan S, Yu H, Wong JJ, Sutton DA, Randhawa KA, van der Velde GM, Mior SA, Carroll LJ, Jacobs CL, Taylor-Vaisey AL. Is exercise effective for the management of neck pain and associated disorders or whiplash-associated disorders? A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. Spine J. 2016 Dec;16(12):1503-1523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2014.02.014