Have you ever been slouching at your desk for so long that you end up with a pain in the neck? Millions of people experience neck pain and stiffness for various reasons. Along with poor posture, your neck can get stiff if you are stressed, or it can ache from prolonged screen time. People often experience these conditions, resulting in a lot of discomfort. However, these complaints can be remedied easily with simple exercises. Certain exercises will alleviate the tension and help you to relax. By doing these workouts daily, your flexibility and muscles will improve while your blood circulation is enhanced in the neck and shoulders. In today’s article, we will delve into several exercises that you can do to ease neck pain and stiffness.
1. Gentle Neck Rotations
One of the best ways to deal with a stiff neck is to do neck rotations. This workout will reduce stiffness by loosening tight muscles. As your muscles relax and circulation in the neck improves, it will become easier to move around your neck.
This simple exercise requires you to be gentle when performing it. It involves sitting or standing with your back straight while slowly turning your neck left and right until you feel a slight stretch. Each time you feel that gentle stretch, you should pause and hold it for a few seconds before returning your head to the centre. You can perform 5-10 repetitions in each direction.
2. Neck Tilts
If you typically sit for hours and experience discomfort in your neck, you can do neck tilts. This workout is best for relieving the tension in your neck that may be caused by prolonged sitting or stress. It targets the sides of your neck, requiring you to tilt your head from side to side.
When doing this exercise, sit or stand upright. Ensure your shoulders are relaxed before you begin. Start by gently tilting your head to the right and lowering your head towards your shoulder. You should hold this pose for 10-15 seconds before returning to the starting position. You should repeat the process on the left side and do 5 reps on each side.
3. Forward and Backward Neck Bends
Another good workout for your neck that can get rid of that tightness you may feel is the forward and backward neck bends. This exercise is simple and can effectively reduce tension. It will also improve the range of motion.
To perform this workout, you need to sit upright and lower your chin to your chest. After holding this pose for 10 seconds, tilt your head backwards and look towards the ceiling for 10 seconds. Return to the starting pose and repeat 5 times in each direction.
4. Shoulder Shrugs
In many cases, neck pain stems from tension or pain in the upper trapezius muscles. Poor posture, stress, or repetitive movements can lead to pain in the upper trapezius muscles and manifest as neck pain. You can perform shoulder shrugs to relax these muscles.
This is a simple workout that involves raising your shoulders towards your ears. Hold the pose for a few seconds and then slowly lower them. You can repeat these steps 10 times.
5. Chin Tucks
After sitting for hours at your desk, you can do some chin tucks. This exercise can be used to combat bad posture, as it is known to improve posture and strengthen deep neck muscles.
For this workout, you can choose to either sit or stand. However, your spine must be straight regardless of what you choose. Slowly tuck your chin in, creating a double chin, and hold it in that pose for 5 seconds. Return to the starting position and perform 10 repetitions.
Safety Tips for Neck Exercises
It is essential to do these exercises gently to prevent injury. If done incorrectly, these exercises can do more harm than good. Ensure you start slow, avoid overdoing it, keep your spine straight, and stop if pain or discomfort increases.
