Hey welcome back everybody to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays. Now this week, we are talking to those of you who may be feeling like your neck muscles are a bit weak. You may feel like your neck gets fatigued or that you have difficulty keeping your neck posture or your head aligned. Here are some things you can start doing with your exercise to possibly help out with that.
1) Strengthen Your Shoulder Muscles
Our first tip if your neck feels weak is to focus on strengthening your shoulder muscles. There are a number of muscles in your shoulders that also influence your neck, and by getting the former stronger, the latter can be better-supported. If you aren’t already, include at least two days each week of total-body resistance training.
Action Step: While the exact exercises that you should be doing are highly individual, adding in general upper body exercises such as overhead presses, pulldowns, rows, and chest presses can help develop your shoulder muscles to be able to better-support your neck. Looking for a way to get in your resistance training at home with minimal equipment? Download the MAS At-Home Workout Program!
2) Utilize Isometrics
Our second tip if your neck feels weak is to utilize isometrics as well as the weight of your head. Oftentimes, the weight of your head is more than enough challenge for your neck muscles. You can strengthen your neck muscles simply by lifting and holding your head in different positions until your neck starts to feel a little fatigued, similar to if you were lifting weights for other areas of your body.
Action Step: Try lifting your head slightly up towards the ceiling while lying flat on your back. You can try this same thing while lying on either side as well as face down. Make sure you have been cleared to do this exercise by a physician or an exercise professional, but if it is appropriate for you, this can be an easy place to start.
3) Schedule With Your Local MAT® Specialist
Our third tip if your neck feels weak is to schedule with your local Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT®) specialist. Your MAT® specialist will be able to assess your entire body to figure out where you have muscles that aren’t working well and may be contributing to symptoms in your neck. Sometimes it can be muscles in your hips, trunk, or elsewhere that are causing your neck to overwork. Schedule now to find out!
Action Step: If you are in the Chicago area, we would love to connect with you! You can see our availability for consultations here. If you aren’t in our area, you can find a certified specialist in your area here. And if you’d like to learn more about MAT® download our free eBook here!
