If you have neck pain, you will surely want to get rid of it as soon as you are able to. One of the ways which you are able to do this is through exercise. What should you be doing? More importantly, what shouldn’t you be doing?
As long as your medical practitioner gives you the thumbs up, you should start exercising as soon as possible in order to ease stiffness as well as pain. Resting for too long, often anything more than a couple of days, will make it more difficult to get moving again.
Don’t exercise if you have serious neck pain or weakness in your hands or arms. If you get it while you exercise, stop immediately and call your doctor.
What Happens When Your Neck And Upper Back Muscles Are Weakened?
When your neck and upper back muscles become weakened, your head sags forward and increased stress is put on the cervical spine. This can lead to neck pain. Strengthening these muscles can assist with improving posture and get the head closer to neutral position (with the ears directly over the shoulders).
The scalene muscles (side of the neck), as well as suboccipital muscles (lower back of head and top of neck, are most efficiently stretched in conjunction with strengthening of the weakened postural muscles, including the upper thoracic extensors as well as the deep cervical flexors.
What Exercises Will Strengthen And Stretch The Muscles In Your Neck And Shoulders?
Cervical Retraction
This is the single best exercise to improve posture as well as neck stability and one which can simply be done sitting at your desk. Cervical retraction is best learned when you’re lying down.
- Lie on your back, on your mat, with your neck relaxed.
- Keep your head on the ground, gently tuck your chin toward your chest as if making a double chin. Squeeze and hold for between 5 and 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Don’t push your head into the floor and make sure that you sense a contraction in the front of your neck.
- In order to do cervical retraction seated, sit in a vertical position with your feet flat on the floor.
- Gently tuck in your chin towards your chest and making sure that your eyes fixed on something in front of you. Squeeze as well as hold for 5-10 seconds.
- Don’t look down or bending your neck forward.
Neck Tilt
- From a sitting position, tilt your head down so that your chin touches your chest.
- Maintain this position for 5 seconds.
- Go back to your starting position and then repeat.
- Do this five times.
Side-to-Side Neck Tilt
- From exactly the same starting position, tilt your neck towards one shoulder, leading with your ear.
- Maintain for 5 seconds and then return to your starting position.
- Do this five times on each side.
Isometric Cervical Side Bending
- Stand or sit in a vertical position with your head in a neutral position and with your feet flat on the floor.
- Position your hand on the side of your head.
- Keeping your eyes fixed on something which is in front of you, push gently into the side of your head, resisting the motion with your neck muscles.
- Ensure that your head remains steady.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
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