Introducing Your Neck-Abs
The most important muscles in your neck are in the back – they lift your head up. Without them, our faces would be buried in our chests, even without the help of our phones. Since they are the most valued, they are often overused. The muscles in the front of the neck learn to kick back and relax… at least until something begins to hurt. When the front of your neck is weak, that can show up in your body as a headache, neck pain, or even shoulder and arm pain.
If your neck muscles are strong, you should be able to:
- Lie on your back and nod your chin down
- Slowly lift your head up without releasing the chin nod by curling one vertebra up at a time
- Hold your head off the ground for 30 seconds
Go ahead and try:
If you can’t lift your head up without losing your chin nod, that’s all you need to work on for now. Start by just holding the chin nod for 30 seconds and repeating 3 times. As that gets easier, try taking a small amount of pressure off the pillow and holding. Progress the resistance by lifting your head up more off the pillow.
Once you that is completed…
NEWWW ACHIEVEMENT! Your Neck is Strong Enough to Actually Hold Your Head Up with Muscles!
REWARD – You get a new exercise to work on!
Now we can work on three-dimensional strength to make your neck strong in every direction. We’ll also do it in the easiest way possible that can be done anywhere you can be horizontal with the ever-present resistance of gravity!
Exercise 1:
Start on your back and do that same chin-nod and head-lift. As you hold it there, reach through the top of your head and do a slow, controlled rotation. Look to one side, slowly return to center, and repeat to the other direction. Aim for five slow rotations to each side.
Exercise 2:
Lie face down with your forehead resting on the back of your hands. Start with the same chin nod, reach through the top of your head, and pick your head up with a long neck. Slowly turn your head in one direction and then the other. Perform five reps looking side to side.
Exercise 3:
Choose a side to lie on. Reach through the top of your head to lengthen your neck, nod your chin down, and hold your head straight out. Slowly turn your head up toward the ceiling then down toward the ground. You guessed it: five reps up and down. Then repeat while lying on your other side.
If you don’t feel like you are progressing with your neck strength and need some help – give us a call to help you out!