Effective and Simple Neck Strengthening Exercises

You might be wondering: Why should I strengthen my neck in the first place? Isn’t that a sensitive and dangerous region to play around with?

While you do need to be careful not to overstrain or injure your neck, appropriate neck exercise can help strengthen the muscles that hold up your head, and may even help stretch this area. You don’t need to use heavy equipment for these exercises. You can just use your own body weight. Here are some reasons why you should strengthen your neck.

Improved balance and locomotion. There are nerve impulses running from your brain through your spinal cord that can be affected by damaged, weak, or fatigued neck muscles. If these nerves get damaged in any way, it can affect your balance as well as basic locomotive actions. A stronger neck can thus improve balance and locomotion.
Control impact. Preparing the neck for impact can better prepare any athlete who might be at risk, such as a soccer player heading the ball, or a football player going in for a tackle.
Improved respiratory system. The strength of your neck can also impact your respiratory system and the quality of breathing.

Didn’t know your neck had so many jobs? Like any other muscle group, you want to make sure your neck muscles are strong and healthy.

Protraction

Lay down on your back with your head on the bench. Relax all of your muscles and sink your spine down into the bench. Place both of your hands on your ribcage to keep them from helping you.

Exhale and point your chin and forehead up towards the ceiling. Start to lift your head, keeping it parallel to the ceiling at all times. When you’ve reached as high as you can go, hold that position for three seconds.

Inhale and slowly lower your neck back down to your starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

Retraction

Lay down on your stomach with your arms hanging over the bench and your face resting on a towel on the bench. Relax all of your muscles and sink down into the bench.

Exhale and retract your neck, pulling the back of your head up to the ceiling, keeping your chin tucked. When you can’t lift your neck up anymore, hold that position for three seconds.

Inhale and control your neck on the way down, counting down three seconds before you reach your starting position. Make sure you’re keeping your face parallel to the bench the whole time while performing this exercise. Repeat 10 times.

Cobra

Lie on your stomach with toes flat on the floor and forehead on the ground. Keep your legs together, feet and heels touching. Place your palms face down on the mat under your shoulders, keeping your elbows parallel and close to your torso.

Inhale and slowly lift your head, chest, and abdomen while keeping your navel on the floor. Pull your torso back and off the floor with the support of your hands. Keep breathing with awareness, as you curve your spine, vertebra by vertebra.

If possible, straighten your arms by arching your back as much as possible. Tilt your head back and look up. Repeat 10 times.

Lateral Extension

Lie down on your right side with your right arm hanging off the back of the bench, cupping the bench from underneath. Place your left arm in front of you for support. Bend your right knee back at a 90-degree angle and rest your left leg on top of your right leg, out straight. Relax your neck and sink everything down into the bench (this is your starting position).

Exhale and raise your head up to the ceiling just moving your neck, NOT your whole spine. Hold for three seconds.

Slowly lower your neck back down, counting to three before you reach your starting position again. Repeat 10 times, then repeat on your left side.

Headstand

This move might be advanced for many but if you’re a yoga enthusiast, it might not be new to you at all. If you have any chronic neck issues, this is most likely too advanced; check with your doctor or therapist before attempting.

Place your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat down and put the crown of your head on the floor and your body weight slightly shifting forward. Have your knees resting against your elbows. This is your starting position.

Exhale, and lift your feet off the floor with your knees now on your elbows. Tuck your chin down into your sternum and place your head on the mat in front of your hands.

When you’re ready, lift your knees up off your elbows and bring them together. Point your feet up towards the ceiling while still keeping your knees bent. Transfer your pelvis forward until you’re balanced. When you lift your knees up, you want to make sure your shoulder girdle is engaged and there is space between your shoulders and your ears.

If you can, straighten your legs as slowly as possible — don’t rush the motion — as you really need to engage your core here.

Slowly lower yourself back down, repeating all the steps in reverse; don’t just jump back down to the floor. Bring your legs down first, then your knees to your elbows, and then your feet down to the floor while lifting your head off the mat. Repeat three times.

The Takeaway

Most people neglect strengthening their neck. These simple exercises don’t require any equipment and they don’t take long to perform.

You don't need to be an athlete to focus on neck strengthening. There’s an upside for everyone. The neck and cervical spine serve as the conduit from the brain to the rest of the body. Therefore it’s important to facilitate better function from the brain to the rest of the central nervous system.

This workout was created by Kat Miller, C.P.T. She has been featured in the Daily Post and is a freelance fitness writer and owner of Fitness with Kat. She currently trains at Manhattan’s elite Upper East Side Brownings Fitness Studio, is a personal trainer at New York Health and Racquet Club in midtown Manhattan, and teaches boot camp.