Effective Back and Neck Stretches

If you are suffering form either back or neck pain then you might need a good stretching program.  The back and the neck are two parts of the body that do not get stretched as much as they should for how often we use them.  You should be stretching your neck and back every other day.  It only takes a couple of minuets a day to do the job right.

There are literally thousands of different back and neck stretches that are easy and effective, but a few in particular that you should try out if you are interested in doing back and neck stretches that are going to be as close to a back stretch machine as possible, and which will be discussed here in more detail.

Shoulder Rolls

One of the best back and neck stretches here is the shoulder roll. This is an incredibly simple stretch, and all you do is roll the shoulders down and back, starting with small circles and working up to larger circles. Do 10 circles backwards and then repeat forward circles.

Back Stretch

Another of the most effective back and neck stretches is the back stretch. To perform this stretch, all you do is contract the abs as you tip forward from the hips, bringing the hands down to the floor. Then you want to relax the head down and reach with your fingertips to stretch the back and hold for 30 seconds.

Wide Back and Shoulder Stretch

From the previous exercise to perform this stretch you want to take the feet wide and bring the arms inside the legs. Then you wrap the arms around the back of the calves, grabbing onto the ankles, and gently pull with the hands to open the shoulders and stretch the upper back. Hold this for 30 seconds.

Keep in mind that these are just a few of the many different back and neck stretches that you have access to and which you can perform, so try these out but feel free to add more to your routine as you become more comfortable and get more used to the stretching.

Also remember that prevention is the best method, and so you should take certain precautions in order to avoid back and neck pain as much as you can. Posture is very important, so be aware of the way that you are standing and try to keep your spine as straight as you can. Also be careful whenever you are lifting anything especially if it is heavy. You want to bend and lift with your legs, and not put all the pressure on your back.

How you sleep is also very important, and you should have a supportive pillow and that you are not tossing and turning when you go to bed at night. Doing exercises right before bed is a good idea, and doing body stretches as well so that you are loose and limber and ready for a good night’s sleep.