Author: Laura B Cornely, NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Introduction
A part of our bodies we often neglect is our neck. We move it around all day, and probably sleep with it in an awkward position all night, but don’t in our day to day take note of how and where we store our tension. Especially in this time of technology and phones, we also have our heads facing downward most of the time and don’t think to stretch it out regularly. A great way to add neck stretching into your daily or regular regimen is through your workout or before playing your sport. As with all parts of our bodies, nothing occurs alone. Tight neck muscles and a lack of stretching will not only affect your neck, but your shoulders and back as well. Our body’s intricately connected systems distribute imbalance everywhere through compensation, or picking up slack where other muscles are weak; so how can we fix this?
Where to start : Scalenes
Three muscles and muscle groups in the neck we can focus on are our scalenes, the levator scapulae and upper trapezius. We have more than one hundred different muscles in our necks alone!
Our scalenes are made up of three of those muscles and 
are responsible for the rotation and forward and side movements of our necks.
According to research the scalenes are more likely than other muscles to become tight as they serve many functions including assisting with our breathing.
Just a tip, whenever you’re exercising, make sure you are using your abdominal muscles and diaphragm so your scalenes are not over worked.
You can stretch your scalenes by tilting and holding your head downward, trying to get your chin above either shoulder and by lifting your chin toward the ceiling on either side.
Be sure to be very gentle and slow moving when performing any of these stretches. Check scalene stretch here.
The Levator Scapulae and Upper Traps
The other muscles mentioned above are responsible for the angular and sideways motions of the neck. In order to stretch the levator scapulae, place one hand behind your back and with the other hand tilt your head forward and downward looking into your armpit. Place one hand behind your back in order to stabilize that shoulder so it doesn’t move with your head as you stretch.
To target the upper trapezius, just bring your head to either side of your shoulder looking forward. It’s best to do all of these stretches one side at a time so that your can get a good sense of which may hold more tension. In addition to overall tight muscles, chances are you’re also favoring one side over the other, which will translate into your workouts and daily movement patterns. Stretching these muscles regularly will improve your flexibility and ultimately your strength and posture.
How Long Should You Stretch For?
So, there’s a little bit of debate on how long to hold stretches. Different professionals in the health field have varying recommendations. For stretches in an area as sensitive as the neck, its better to be safe than sorry. Most professional suggestions fall within the range of 10-60 seconds per stretch and per side. In terms of a warm up of different stretches 5 -10 minutes total is a general rule to add to the effectiveness of your workout. The general consensus is that holding a stretch for any less than 20-30 seconds will not allow the muscle fibers enough time to respond to the external stretch by lengthening or relaxing. Working at a Brooklyn physical therapy clinic for 2 years, I’ve learned the same thing. Between 20-30 seconds to hold a stretch helps the muscles correctly respond, however if you happen to already be in pain, starting off with 10- 20 seconds would be better in minimizing the chance of strain or re-injury.
Why is this Important ?
Why all this talk about the neck? Well, imagine you are running a 5K, or doing laps in a pool. If your neck muscles are imbalanced or tight, after the first few minutes, you will likely begin to compensate by shrugging your shoulders or slouching. Both of these changes in your posture while exercising and likely breathing heavily will lead to soreness, weakness and premature fatigue. As your muscles get tired, you’ll either end up cutting your exercise short or keep pushing past the fatigue and compensate with other muscles in your back and shoulders even more. On a more serious note, some of the muscles in your neck connect to your first rib. This means that when your neck muscles are tight, you may be pulling on parts of your rib and could therefore be at higher risk for a rib fracture if ever hit with enough force. Accidents can happen anytime, but you want to be in the best possible condition if those situations arise. Bottom line, stretch out your neck along with the other muscles you use, because whether or not you realize it, how you use your neck will determine how you use the rest of your body.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, stretching out your neck muscles before and after your workout will help you feel better and breathe easier. Try to get through some manual stretches along with foam rolling, using a theracane, and incorporating massage therapy to precisely target those individual muscles. Tension in the neck not only limits the movement of our upper bodies, but tires out our muscles, leading to more issues of pain and discomfort down the line. Remember that our scalenes, levator scapulae and upper trapezius are just a handful of the many muscles in your neck. With vital arteries and veins in your neck as well, make sure if you experience any sharp pain with any stretches that you see a health professional immediately. Take charge of your health and get your best results having a holistic approach to your health and fitness regimen.
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