Alec Titan
Neck exercises are an important part of maintaining overall health. The neck is an essential component of spinal alignment, and strengthening the neck can reduce the risk of injury and improve posture. Poor neck posture can lead to pain, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and even neck injuries. Working on computers or laptops for extended periods can cause neck strain, and it is crucial to take breaks and stretch. Various exercises, such as chin tucks, prone cobra, scapular wall slides, and facial muscle-toning jaw exercises, can help target and strengthen neck muscles, providing relief from pain and improving overall neck health.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chin tuck | Stand with your spine against a door jamb and your feet about 3 inches out. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back into alignment over the shoulders. |
| Prone cobra | Lie on the floor face down with a rolled-up hand towel under your forehead for comfort. Place your arms at your sides, palms down, and your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Pinch your shoulder blades together and lift your hands off the floor, rolling your elbows in and thumbs up. Lift your forehead about an inch off the towel. Hold for 10 seconds. |
| Scapular wall slide | Stand with your back against a wall and your feet about 4 inches out from the bottom. Place your elbows, forearms, and the backs of your hands and fingers on the wall with your wrists at shoulder height. Keeping your arms, hands, head, and fingers touching the wall, slowly slide your hands up and above your head, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times, 3 to 5 times per day. |
| Isometric neck strengthening | Place your palm on your forehead and resist flexion of your neck while keeping your head still. Hold, then relax. Repeat three times, holding each contraction for 5-10 seconds. |
| Neck extension prone | Let your neck hang forward and down over the end of a bench. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat three times. |
| Neck side-flexor strengthening | Lie on your side and bend your neck, taking your ear toward your shoulder. Repeat ten times on each side, then turn over and do the same on the opposite side. |
| Neck rotations | Stand or sit with your back and head squarely over your shoulders. Turn your head as far as you comfortably can to one side, hold for up to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side. |
| Shoulder circles | While standing, raise your shoulders and move them in a circle. |
| Neck tilt | From a sitting position, tilt your head down so your chin touches your chest. Hold for 5 seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat five times. |
| Side-to-side neck tilt | From a sitting position, tilt your neck toward one shoulder, leading with your ear. Hold for 5 seconds, then return to the starting position. |
| Jaw stretch | Sit up tall, face forward, and gently open your mouth as wide as you can without causing pain. Hold this stretch for 5 breaths, then relax your jaw. Repeat 10 times. |
| Facial muscle-toning | Close your mouth and smile as hard as you can, bringing your lips as close to your teeth as possible. Hold for 5 seconds, then repeat the movement 10 times. |
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What You'll Learn
Chin tucks
Poor neck posture can cause pain, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and even neck injuries. Neck posture is important because it is essential for good overall spinal alignment and keeps your head in the centre of gravity.
One of the most effective postural exercises for combating neck pain is the chin tuck exercise. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back into alignment over the shoulders and also stretches the scalene and suboccipital muscles.
To perform the exercise for the first time, stand with your spine up against a door jamb and your feet out about 3 inches from the bottom of the door jamb. Gently move your head and bring your chin toward your chest, as though you’re nodding slowly. You can also apply resistance with a hand placed under the tucked chin and apply light downward pressure into the hand, using the 5-second hold time approach. It is recommended to perform 5 to 7 sets of 10 chin tucks in the course of each day.
Once you are comfortable with the exercise, you can do it standing or sitting without a door jamb. You can do chin tucks five to seven times throughout the day, such as while sitting in the car or at your desk at work. The repetition of this exercise throughout the day also helps develop good postural habits.
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Prone cobra
Poor neck posture can cause pain, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and even neck injuries. Neck-strengthening exercises can help reduce the risk of injury and improve posture. One such exercise is the Prone Cobra.
To perform the Prone Cobra, lie face down on an exercise mat with your legs straight and arms against your sides. Place your forehead on a rolled-up hand towel for comfort. Then, begin the exercise by raising your legs, chest, head, and arms off the ground as high as you comfortably can. Rotate your arms so that your thumbs are sticking up toward the ceiling, with your arms still behind you. Hold this position for 60 seconds.
When in the correct position, you should feel your shoulders roll back and your chest open. You can also try a modified version of this exercise by following the same steps but holding the position for 20-30 seconds and repeating 3-4 times.
The Prone Cobra is an intermediate-level exercise that can be performed anytime, anywhere, without any equipment.
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Jaw exercises
The neck and jaw are closely linked, and exercising the jaw muscles can help to build them up and give your jaw a more defined look. Here are some jaw exercises to help keep your facial muscles toned and avoid any problems:
Neck Curl or Abdominal Curl
This exercise is done lying on your back with the tongue pressed on the roof of your mouth. Bring your chin to your chest and then lift your head off the ground about 2 to 3 inches. Don't lift your stomach and don't poke your chin out. Start by doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions and gradually build up. Take your time with this exercise as these muscles are often underdeveloped, and you could strain your neck if you try too much too fast. This can also be done seated or standing.
Tongue Twisters
Place your tongue at the roof of your mouth, just behind your teeth. Press your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth to create tension.
The Chin-Up Exercise
Close your mouth and slowly push your jaw forward. Lift your lower lip and push up until you feel the muscles in your chin and jawline stretch. Stay in this position for about 10 seconds before repeating the exercise.
Neck Extension Prone
Let your neck hang forwards and down over the end of a bench. You will feel a gentle stretch at the top back of your neck. Hold the stretch, and relax. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, and repeat three times.
The Fish Face
Exhale completely, sucking your cheeks in to make a fish face and contracting your lip muscles as hard as possible. You should feel a slightly uncomfortable tightening around the lips. Hold the position for 5 seconds and then repeat it 10 times.
The Big Smile
Close your mouth and smile as hard as you can. At the same time, bring your lips as close as possible to your teeth. You’ll feel a tightening at the edge of your lips. Hold the position as intensely as possible for 5 seconds. Then repeat the movement 10 times.
The Pout
Close your mouth and bring your lower lip down until you can see your bottom teeth and feel tension in your chin. Imagine a string pulling each side of your mouth down. Hold the position for 5 seconds and then repeat 10 times.
The Vowel
By sounding out vowels and stretching your mouth, this exercise targets the muscles around your lips. Open your mouth to create an “O” sound. Then, open your mouth to create an exaggerated “E” sound. Repeat the “O” and “E” movements.
The Collarbone Exercise
The collarbone exercise engages the muscles under your chin that support your jaw.
The Chin Tuck
Stand with your spine against a door jamb and your feet about 3 inches out from the bottom of the door jamb. Gently tuck your chin back into your neck, as if nodding 'yes'. You should feel the muscles in the front of your neck contracting. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back into alignment over the shoulders.
The Prone Cobra
Lie on the floor face down and place your forehead on a rolled-up hand towel. Place your arms at your sides, palms down on the floor. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Pinch your shoulder blades together and lift your hands off the floor. Roll your elbows in, palms out and thumbs up. Gently lift your forehead about an inch off the towel, keeping your eyes looking straight at the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
The Wall Slide
Stand with your back against a large flat wall and your feet about 4 inches out from the bottom of the wall. Place your elbows, forearms, and the backs of your hands and fingers on the wall with wrists at shoulder height. Keeping your arms, hands, head, and fingers all touching the wall as best possible, slowly slide your hands up above your head and slowly back down. Repeat this 10 times, 3 to 5 times per day.
Remember, it is important to move gently and slowly for each exercise. Focus on taking deep breaths, slowly in and out, during these exercises.
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Shoulder circles
To perform a shoulder circle, stand tall with your arms hanging loosely by your sides. You can also do this exercise while seated, with your hands resting on your lap or hanging by the sides of the chair. Now, lift and roll your shoulders in a large circular motion. Start by bringing your shoulders forward, then upward, backward, and finally downward to the starting position. It is important to keep your body relaxed and your motions slow and steady. Look straight ahead while doing this exercise.
After a few repetitions, switch it up by changing the direction of the circle. This time, bring your shoulders backward, upward, forward, and then downward. You can also do one shoulder at a time, alternating between repetitions or sets.
For variety, you can add shoulder shrugs in between sets of changing direction. Do this by simply raising and lowering your shoulders for a complete set.
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Neck rotations
You can also perform neck rotations while standing or sitting. It is important to use slow, controlled movements and avoid forcing any movements beyond your range of motion. Keep your eyes facing forward while drawing your chin towards your chest. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat 2 to 4 times.
For a deeper stretch, place one hand behind your head with your fingertips at the base of your skull to guide the movement. This exercise will help loosen tight posterior neck muscles and reduce tightness and spinal pressure.
Neck strengthening exercises like neck rotations are beneficial for improving your neck range of motion and reducing stiffness. They are a key movement of the neck that allows you to turn your head while driving, playing sports, and performing daily activities. By targeting the neck rotator muscles located around your cervical spine, you can improve your overall neck health and reduce the risk of injury.
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