Strengthen Your Neck Muscles with Simple Exercises
Injuring your neck is one of the easiest things to do. “People can wake up with a stiff neck after sleeping, or feel like they have a stiff neck after travel, or even at the end of their work day,” says Dana Rose, physical therapist and site manager at the spine therapy center at the Weill Cornell-affiliated Hospital for Special Surgery. “The underlying theme in all of these is poor posture and alignment.”
Good posture, Rose says, allows us to align our joints in an optimal position and minimize this feeling of stiffness. Conversely, with poor posture, our joints are not in ideal alignment, which can lead to stiffness. In addition, with long periods of poor posture, “there are adaptive changes to our muscles, which also can contribute to the sensation of stiffness,” she says.
Tips for Maintaining Good Posture
Sleeping. To avoid a stiff neck, be mindful of your sleeping posture. There is no one perfect pillow. But, “At night, make sure you’re not sleeping with too many pillows,” Rose says. “The role of a pillow should be to bring the mattress to your neck. When sleeping, your neck should be in a neutral position, ideally sleeping on your side or your back. Belly sleeping is not ideal for those who suffer from a stiff neck.
Traveling. When traveling, be sure to get up and move around periodically. “Prolonged positions are not good for our joints and often can give us the stiffness sensation. If you are going on a long plane or train ride, consider taking a neck support with you.
Working. If you spend a lot of time in a chair during the day, sit up straight with your feet firmly planted on the floor and your head faced forward.
Tech-ing. We are always hunched over our phones, tablets, and computers. Instead, “bring them up to eye level to minimize the stress on our neck,” says Rose.
Keep moving. Never stay in one position too long. “Sit up straight, and keep moving throughout the day,” Rose says. “Stay active and exercise regularly to avoid any uncomfortable sensations.”
Exercise Your Neck and Shoulders
To minimize neck stiffness, prevent spinal and muscular injuries, and reduce neck and shoulder pain, exercise your neck and shoulder blades (scapular muscles) two to three times a week (skipping a day between to let your muscles heal).
Below we show two examples of exercises that can help improve your posture and maintain strong neck and shoulder muscles.
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