When multitasking in the modern world, many people suffer from neck tension. Fatigue and headaches are symptoms of chronic tension in the neck area. Stretching to elongate your neck can be as simple as mimicking an animal, such as a cat or a turtle, in the way it stretches. The soft tissues, bones and muscles in your neck are delicate. By gently lengthening the back of your neck with simple exercises, you can strengthen and properly align your neck with your spine.
Chin Tucks and Head Lifts
Perform simple stretches while watching television to relax and extend your neck. For example, place a towel on the floor and get on your hands and knees. Keep your hands and ears aligned with your shoulders and your knees directly over your hips. Maintain a straight back. Slowly lower your chin toward your breastbone, allowing the force of gravity to lengthen your neck. Tucking in your chin, hold the position for five seconds. Raise your head until your neck is horizontal and aligned with your spine. Hold five seconds. Repeat the exercise five times. Avoid arching or swaying your back, which can put stress on your neck and spine.
Stretch your neck with the slow and controlled moves of a turtle. Sit upright, exhale and extend the head forward. Lift your chin so it remains parallel to the ground and lengthen your neck. On the inhalation, return your head to the starting position. On your next exhalation, draw your head in and press your chin in toward your neck. Form a dramatic double chin. Move your head back to the starting position as you inhale. Repeat the stretch twice forward and back. A variation of this exercise is to lift your chin upward to the ceiling, which will stretch muscles and ligaments in the front of your neck and chest. To avoid neck strain, avoid jamming your chin into your chest in the first exercise as well as pinching the back of your skull against your cervical spine in the second exercise.
A head roll can exercise your neck through a wide range of motion. Lower your chin to your breastbone and gently rotate your head clockwise. As the right side of your head passes your right shoulder, take a deep breath. Continue rolling your head to the back, lengthening the neck. Avoid contracting the shoulders or pinching your spinal cord. As the left side of your head passes over your left shoulder, breathe out. Perform three rotations, and repeat the exercise with a counterclockwise rotation. If you have arthritis or cervical spine problems, this exercise can lead to neck problems, according to Samuel Homola’s “The Chiropractor’s Self-Help Back and Body Book: Your Complete Guide to Relieving Aches and Pains at Home and on the Job.” Restrict your head movements to side to side or back and forth, and avoid rolling your head 360 degrees.
A Roll Up
While elongating your neck, increase the strength in the muscles that enable you to draw your chin toward your chest. Lie supine with knees bent. Keep your feet hip-width apart and parallel. Roll up a towel and wedge it between your chin and throat. Gently press down on the towel with your chin to stabilize the towel. This small movement will activate the neck flexors buried deep in the front of your neck while simultaneously extending the muscles in the back of your neck. Breathe deeply and hold the stretch for five seconds. Release and repeat three times. If your neck veins are visibly popping, you're straining too hard. Stop the exercise, put the towel under your head and gently lengthen your neck.