Three Neck Stretches That Will Change Your Life
by Heather "Feather" Poast
Neck tightness can affect your life in really big ways. It can cause pain during simple tasks like turning your head to look back while driving. It can create tightness in your upper back which can lead to unnecessary back pain. Some suggest a tight neck may even cause hearing loss.
Here at Cureve, we take neck health seriously and recommend stretching your neck daily. Neck flexibility is not only important for the upper body, but will promote flexibility and overall health in your entire body. In this article we are going to show how to improve neck health in a big way with a few simple stretches.
The stretches we will introduce here are quick and simple and do not require any equipment. And while the traditional go to neck stretch “neck circles” are a good exercise, these alone will not make a big difference. You need deep stretching and breathing to create long term results and that is what these two stretches focus on.
So let's get started. For the first stretch you will stretch the sides of the neck. Simply find a comfortable place to sit. You can sit cross-legged on the floor or in a chair. Sit on your left hand and drop your right ear to your right shoulder. You will feel the stretch in the left side of your neck. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth as you do this. Stretch each side like this for one minute.
After stretching the sides of your neck, next you will focus on opening up the back of the neck. Interlace the fingers behind the head and drop your chin to your chest. Let your elbows hang towards the floor and allow gravity to do its work. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth while holding this stretch for one minute.
As you do these, be sure you are comfortable in a seated position. If your body is tense you will not get the full benefit of these exercises. If you suffer from severe neck pain or get a bad kink in your neck, you can extend the length of each stretch to three to five minutes.
Don’t let a stiff neck affect your life. Stretching can prevent a stiff neck while also promoting flexibility and overall health throughout your body. Try these quick and easy stretches once a day to help your neck (and eventually the rest of your body) feel amazing. Your body will thank you. We promise.
As always, feel free to email us with any question or comments at info@cureve.com
Heather "Feather" Poast is a 500 hour trained yoga instructor, personal trainer, ultra-marathon runner and chef.