Have you ever heard of exercising your neck? Sure, we work out our biceps, triceps, abdominal muscles, gluteus muscles, quads and hamstrings but when was the last time you did a neck exercises? Probably never, but it’s an area of the body that should not be neglected. A strong neck has many advantages.
The neck, technically called the cervical spine, has four main muscles and it is more vulnerable to injury that the rest of the spine. Instead of being enclosed by the torso (or core), it is encased by a relatively small number of muscles and ligaments in relation to the amount of movement it does.
Think about the vital structures that are part of the neck – the airway, spinal cord and major blood vessels that supply the brain. If any one of these gets damaged, loss of life can occur quickly. Sorry about the dramatics, but you need to get the importance here – it’s not merely an aesthetic choice to do neck exercises.
Here are some very simple neck exercises:
Forward Neck Press – You can do this sitting or standing. Place your hands on your forehead and look straight ahead. Then press your hands against your head while at the same time lowering it towards your chest. Do this slowly. Repeat 10 times.
Side Neck Press – Now place your right hand on the right side of your head and push your head and hand together gently. Hold the tension for about 10 seconds before releasing. Repeat 10 times then do the same on your left.
Rear Neck Press – Place both hands behind your head. Apply resistance through them and try to move your head back. Hold the tension for about 10 seconds before releasing. Repeat 10 times.
Make sure you use your hands to brace against the pressure you apply as they will not only help increase the tension to build strength, but also support the head to ensure your neck remains fully supported.
