If you are experiencing neck, back, or shoulder pain, then you should think about performing neck mobility exercises. Neck mobility exercises will increase your flexibility, mobility, and range of motion. Furthermore, by approaching your joints from the neck down, this can also improve your overall posture while alleviating stress and tension. Take a look at a few of the neck mobility exercises below that could change your life!
1. Look To The Left and Right
The first exercise is simply looking to the left and right. During this exercise, push the shoulder blades back and together. Then, rotate the neck from side to side. One of the most common mistakes is to look to one side more than the other. Make sure that you rotate the neck from side to side equally. You should try to turn your neck until it is uncomfortable (meaning that you feel a good stretch) but do not turn so far that the neck snaps or hurts.
2. Look Up and Down: A Chin Tuck
The next exercise is the chin tuck. Start by placing two hands on the chest to focus on the neck. Then, lift the chest, in order to isolate the muscles and ligaments in the neck. Lift the chest until you feel a stretch in the neck. Next, look down. Continue to look up and down but keep the neck high, pivot the top of the skull, and tuck the chin during this exercise.
3. Work on the Head Tilt To Make the Neck Slightly Longer
During this exercise, the goal is to tilt the ears up to the sky. Make sure to shift the neck forward and keep the hands on the chest to isolate the neck. Start by reaching one ear up. Try to lift the ear to the sky. Then, return the neck to a neutral position before doing the same thing on the other side. Try to lift each ear equally.
4. The Cellphone Drill
The goal of this exercise is to correct the forward jutted chin position. First, suck the chin back to make a fat face. If you see a double chin, you have the right position. Then, move the neck forward again. Keep doing this motion to increase the forward and backward mobility of the neck.
5. Work on the Janet Jackson Slide
You are going to try to mimic the neck motion of Janet Jackson. During this exercise, keep the eyes level. Then, slide the neck from side to side while trying to keep the head as level as possible. This is the hardest one, so it might take some practice. Look in the mirror and see how far you can slide the neck from side to side with the head level.
6. Perform Neck Half Rotations
The goal of this exercise is to do the front half of a neck circle only. First, lift the ear up. Then, place the chin on the chest. After, lift the other ear up. Continue to repeat this motion several times. Do not do the back half of the neck rotation. Stay with the front half and repeat this circle several times to improve the flexibility of the neck.
Improve Your Neck Mobility with These Simple Exercises
These are just a few of the exercises that you can perform to improve the mobility of your neck. Aim for three minutes of neck exercises per day. This is a great way for you to alleviate the tension and stress in your neck and shoulders while also improving your flexibility and range of motion. You may even notice that other muscles, joints, and ligaments in your body feel loose as well.
If you need a visual guide, please watch the following video:
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