5 Reasons Why a Strong Neck is Important
Do you feel like your head is too heavy for your body? Do you feel yourself constantly slouching, because having proper posture seems to be more work? Are you constantly grabbing your neck to ease any shooting pains, or aches? If yes to any one of these then you’re probably feeling the pain of weak and collapsing neck muscles! Strengthening your neck is not a commonly known exercise, or idea that resonates with a lot of people but is crucial for more than easing pain.
Here are 5 reasons why you should take time to strengthen your neck!
Strengthening the neck creates a layer of protection in order to prevent any further injuries.
Your neck is the barrier between your head, and your spine, which are some of the most important parts of your body. By doing exercises that strengthen your neck you create a layer of muscle that protect your neck, head, and spine from injuries that could occur by falling, a car accident, or simply just by accidentally running into something. Strong necks aren’t frequently talked about, but are just as important as strengthening any other muscle in the body. A great way to strengthen your neck is by strengthening your body, and all it takes is 7 minutes! If you were to take 7 minutes every morning, or right before bed you would be benefitting so much more than just your neck muscles. My One and Done program allows you to strengthen your whole body in just 7 minutes, if this is something you feel you could do before work or before bed, click here for more info! The neck is a great shock absorber and a great mechanism for decelerating the movement of the head. Having stronger neck muscles can help control the whipping motion of the head, which in turn controls the velocity of the brain moving inside the skull. Research has shown that if you get hit in the head, the dispersion of the impact and the force must go somewhere and having a strong neck can greatly benefit how your body absorbs that force!
Reduces the stress on the cervical spine.
By reducing the stress on your cervical spine, you are allowing your spine to stay mobile, and flexible. The cervical spine is the most superior portion of the vertebral column, lying between the cranium and the thoracic vertebrae. It consists of seven distinct vertebrae While also reducing the pressure, and may also reduce pain in your neck area. When the neck muscles are weaker and tighter, they’re more susceptible to painful strains and sprains. A study stated that an average head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds. This is the weight that the cervical spine (neck) supports when maintaining good posture. If the head bends forward just 15 degrees roughly, the stress on your cervical spine more than doubles. By exercising your neck muscles you are strengthening and building up the strength in your neck to withstand the weight of your head, which may help reduce the stress placed on your cervical spine.
Benefits your posture, and the adjustment to have your head placed in its neutral position, with the ears directly over the shoulders.
There are many benefits that come with good posture. It provides relief to your spine, allows for better breathing, and may reduce your amount of headaches. Dropping your head and drooping your shoulders can create unnecessary tension that contributes to headaches. Research shows that people who have a posture featuring a forward head tend to have more headaches, and they last longer than people who have good posture. When you have poor posture your airflow to your lungs is constricted due to not being able to deeply fill your lungs.
Strengthening the neck can have a positive effect on other muscles in the body.
Strengthening your neck can have a positive effect on other muscles in your body, such as the trapezius and the deltoids. An important function of deltoid is the prevention of dislocation of the head. The Deltoid is the prime mover of shoulder abduction. The trapezius muscle is mainly postural but is also used for active movements such as side bending and turning the head, elevating and depressing the shoulders, and internally rotating the arm. The trapezius elevates, depresses, and retracts the scapula. Click here for an awesome back pain workout, that I know you’ll love! Keeping your neck strong allows other muscles in your body to stay strong, and allows you to continue your day to day mobility. These muscles function in so many ways during a normal day, such as loading or unloading a dishwasher, making the bed, or simply picking up after yourself.
May benefit the hours of sleep you receive at night.
Physicians at Collins Chiropractic say bad posture might play a part in poor sleeping woes. The experts note that poor posture can lead to a host of problems, including insomnia, apnea, and sleeping problems. The neck pain, back pain, and increased stress levels caused by bad posture can directly interfere with your ability to catch quality sleep. While lower back pain and neck pain from repetitive strains caused by bad posture induces sleeplessness, it also goes the other way. An article on The Atlantic reveals that people with moderate-to-severe sleep problems are more likely to develop chronic musculoskeletal pain after a year than those who don’t. Musculoskeletal pain refers to pain in the muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. As neck pain involves small tears in the muscle during the day, not having enough time to repair them at night aggravates them. The increase in the levels of stress when you’re sleep-deprived can also contribute to bad spine angles and slouching during the day, as your muscle coordination deteriorates and makes you less mindful of your posture. Try this awesome stretch before bed!
It’s important to always be mindful of your body and the role each muscle and part play on a daily basis. The main cause of your neck pain could simply be poor posture. Staying active, and eating right is always important, while also learning to strengthen your WHOLE body not just pieces of it. In combination with my One and Done program, my Metaboost program allows you to provide the right amount of nutrients, and also includes 6 extra isometric exercises that allows you to stay mobile and strong. If you’re looking for the perfect nutritious meal plan to help kickstart your new health journey click here!
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