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3 Trusty Neck Stretches for When You’re in a Pinch
The ones I recommend to all my clients as a kinesiologist.
If you’re like most human beings, chances are you spend a considerable amount of time each day staring at your phone or computer. Combine this with the stress and poor sleep we often experience, and you have a recipe for frequent soreness and pain around the neck and traps. It’s safe to say our bustling 21st-century lives are not friendly to this region of the body.
To help mend this rocky relationship with the neck, I want to provide you with a few simple neck stretches to combat the wearing effects of everyday life. While these may not necessarily get to the bottom of your pain and strengthen your upper body in the way that more loaded/dynamic movements would, they’re still great tools when you’re in a pinch. Whether you’re between meetings at the office or grinding out a red-eye flight, bust these out and your symptoms are bound to calm down.
It’s time to give your neck the TLC it deserves. ⤵
3 Easy Neck Stretches To Relieve Everyday Tension
As we get into the exercises below, please know that they come with risks for certain populations. If you have a history of neck injuries or any chronic condition that may put you in danger during the application of new exercises, please talk to a trusted health provider before starting the routine below. Don’t skip this first step!
For each movement below, focus on going to your pain-free range of motion with each rep, and be intentional about deep breaths from the diaphragm to relax the shoulders and traps. Even 5–10 reps per side can be the difference between being in pain or not! If you have the capacity to invest more time and energy in this area, refer to my guide here to build strength and endurance in this region as well.
As we see with posture, frequent movement is far better than no movement. The stretches below will allow you to change up your position frequently to keep blood flowing between spinal discs and loosen the tension that can build up over periods of extended sedentary behavior. For the best results, try these at least once or twice a day!
