The Turtle Exercise is a simple chin-retraction movement designed to help keep your atlas (C1) vertebra properly positioned after a chiropractic adjustment. Done at the right moment, it can prevent that bone from drifting out of place before your next visit.
When to do this exercise
This exercise is most useful as a quick, in-the-moment reset — not necessarily a daily routine. Do it when:
- You feel like you may have strained or stressed your neck (a sudden twist, an awkward movement, sleeping in a bad position, etc.)
- The thought crosses your mind, "Did I just knock myself out of adjustment?"
- You want to protect a recent adjustment during an activity you know tends to affect your neck (exercise, yoga, long drives, etc.)
Important: If your atlas is already fully out of adjustment, this exercise cannot replace a chiropractic correction. It is designed to help before things go too far.
How to do it
- Place both hands flat on your sternum (breastbone). Press gently forward. This anchors your chest so the movement stays isolated to your neck.
- Keep your chin parallel to the floor throughout the entire exercise — no tilting up or down.
- Slowly push your chin straight forward, away from your neck.
- Retract your chin straight back, drawing it toward your spine in a smooth, controlled motion.
- Repeat for a total of 3 repetitions — forward and back counts as one rep.
- Use a moderate amount of force. You are trying to guide the atlas back into position, but you should never be straining your neck.
Common mistakes
- Dropping or raising the chin — the movement must stay perfectly horizontal, not angled up or down.
- Skipping the hand placement on the sternum — without that forward pressure on your chest, you lose the isolation and the atlas does not get the targeted input it needs.
- Moving too gently — a small amount of deliberate force is appropriate; a completely passive glide may not be effective.
- Doing it when you are already in pain or discomfort — if the exercise causes any pain, stop immediately and let Dr. Smith know at your next visit.
- Using it as a substitute for an adjustment — if you are already out of adjustment, this exercise will not correct it; you still need to come in.
Why it helps
The chin-retraction motion creates a specific gliding movement at the upper cervical spine that targets the atlas (C1) — the topmost vertebra and the one Dr. Smith focuses on with every adjustment. By anchoring the chest and moving the chin forward and back on a horizontal plane, you isolate that segment and encourage the atlas to stay centered on the vertebra below it. Think of it as a gentle mechanical nudge that reinforces the work done during your adjustment. Dr. Smith has used this very exercise during his own yoga practice to avoid going out of adjustment mid-program, which speaks to how practical and effective it can be as a protective tool in everyday life.