Your SCM, or Sternocleidomastoid muscle, runs from your sternum and your clavicle and it inserts into the mastoid process of your occiput, part of your skull.

This muscle becomes chronically short with people who sit all the time. When you sit for hours per day, for days, weeks, months and years, and you’re in a hunched, slouched posture, your SCM muscle gradually becomes short and becomes very tight.

So how do we stretch that muscle? To stretch your SCM – if we’re going to first start by focusing on our left sternocleidomastoid muscle, I rotate away from that side, so towards my right side and I tilt my head back very slightly.

And if you’re looking you can probably see some of those muscle fibers pulling, becoming very tight. I hold this position here for about 30 seconds, then I very gently rotate my head back towards neutral.

Now I’ll focus on my right sternocleidomastoid. So again I rotate the opposite way, so towards the left side, and I tilt my head back like this.

If you’re looking you can probably see some of these muscle fibres firing through here. I hold this for about 30 seconds and then very gently rotate back towards neutral.

I will try to do each side three times, ideally every single day, once per day if not twice per day.

Some of these problems, some of these shortened muscles through here have likely been developing with you for years now. It will take you time to stretch them, but with diligent practice it will start changing.

To repeat one more time, you hold the SCM stretch for about 30 seconds. Try to do each side two to three times, or two to three repetitions, minimally once per day, twice a day even better.

Any questions, please ask.