Top Workouts to Stretch Your Back and Neck
Your back and neck are responsible for your posture and the overall support of your body. You want to make sure that you are stretching them on a daily basis, as it is going to help with mobility, pain management, and so much more.
There are several different exercises that you can do, even if you don’t have a gym membership, to ensure that your back and neck are in the best possible condition.
Yoga
Yoga is one of the greatest ways to stretch out your back and neck – and it is being recommended by more doctors and chiropractors than ever before. One of the first thing that yoga is going to teach you is postural awareness. You are suddenly going to become very aware of how you sit, how you hold your diaphragm, and your overall frame.
Some of the different exercises that you can do during a yoga session includes downward facing dog, pec stretches, and pyramids. These can strengthen your back and help to give you some more mobility back.
Pilates
Pilates has been around since the early 20th century and tens of millions of people in the U.S. are practicing it. It can help to alleviate lower back pain and condition abdominal muscles. Throughout the workouts, you can learn to control your breathing and gain better flow throughout your movements, which can help to reduce the chance of hurting your neck or back in everyday activities.
Exercises at the Desk
One of the main reasons that your neck and back may be sore is because you sit at a desk all day long. If you are like most people, you don’t have the best posture, and you look down at your keyboard for extended periods of time. Learning various desk exercises can help to stretch out your back and neck so that you are not sore at the end of the day – and throughout the year.
This includes doing the shoulder shrug where you raise both shoulders up around your ears hold for five seconds and relax. There are also wall push-ups, where you can get away from your desk for a few minutes, use a sturdy wall, and lean your palms flesh against it. Bend your elbows to move your body towards the wall, hold, and then push back to the starting position. Even something as simple as rolling your neck around periodically can help to loosen things up.
Obviously, any time that you can get some extra exercise in throughout the day is ideal. Make a few extra trips around the cubicle jungle or take the stairs instead of the elevator the next time you need to go to a different floor.
Talk to Your Chiropractor
Depending upon how often you experience back and neck pain, you may need to increase the frequency of your visits to the chiropractor. A simple spinal adjustment can be what you need in order to get your spine back into shape. You can then talk to your chiropractor about a few other workouts that can have a positive impact on your posture and mobility.