Six Yoga Poses To Strengthen Neck Muscles

Perhaps you’ve spent the entire day slouched in front of the computer, or you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Whatever the reason, you find yourself battling a stiff neck. Luckily, yoga exercises can quickly alleviate the pain. First, you want to make sure your stiff neck isn’t a sign of an underlying condition. If the pain is recurring or makes you dizzy, you might want to see a doctor. When you don’t have any of those symptoms, doing these six simple yoga exercises will help to strengthen your neck muscles and improve flexibility, keeping your neck pain-free.

Shoulder Hunches
Try hunching your shoulders as high as you can, then relax them completely. Do about five or six repetitions of this exercise. Then roll your shoulders in a forward motion about five or six times, and then repeat the exercise in backward circles. This is a great exercise to do whenever you feel the tension mounting in your neck muscles.

Neck Stretches
Sit up straight with your legs crossed, eyes forward, and inhale. As you exhale, move your chin down to your chest. Repeat this five times, and on the fifth breath, keep your chin to your chest and breathe thrice through your nose. Raise your head slowly as you inhale. Then, as you exhale, slowly lower your right ear onto your right shoulder, holding the position for three breaths. Do the same with the left ear to the left shoulder.

Half-Circle Rolls
Lower your chin to your chest. Roll it slowly up to your right shoulder and drop it back down to your chest. Roll it back up to your left shoulder and drop it back down to your chest once more. Repeat this exercise three to five times. Do not try rolling your head completely around, as this may cause damage to your neck.

Arm Lifts
Extend your arms in front of you, keeping them parallel to the ground, palms facing each other without touching. Bring your arms up to your head as you inhale, and lower them down when you exhale. Do about four to eight repetitions of this exercise.

Chest Expander
Stand up straight with your feet together, hands behind your back with fingers interlaced. Inhale deeply and gradually raise your arms behind your back while still keeping fingers interlaced. Try tucking in your tailbone to make sure you don’t overdo the back stretches. Remain in this position for about three to four breaths then slowly lower your arms during the next exhale.

Head Press
Place either palm on the back of your head, and simultaneously move hand and head towards one another. Hold this pose for about ten seconds. Next, move your palm to your forehead and with the same pushing motion, hold for another ten seconds. Then, place your right hand over the right side of your head and press for another ten seconds or so. Repeat the process with the left hand and the left side of your head.

Neck pain is usually caused by stress and bad posture. Prevention is the key, so remember to monitor your posture to prevent slouching.