How to Stretch Your Neck

Series Summary

Exercising combined with an appropriate diet is a great way to manage weight and maximize flexibility and agility. Stretching is an important part of warming-up before a good workout, but do not stretch cold muscles. Stretching is a great way to start a workout, warm up muscles first with a short jog and then stretch before exercising. Stretching muscles lengthens and lubricates them, giving muscles protection from tears and other injuries. Stretching is also a great way to wind down after a workout. Stretching after a workout increases static flexibility. Agility comes from building lean, flexible muscles and developing fast-twitch response. In this free video, learn some basic stretching exercises. Our expert, Les Whitley, is a fitness instructor. He demonstrates some simple stretches to relieve tension and improve flexibility. Learn the proper way to stretch the hamstrings. Also, find out how to stretch the back, shoulder and neck muscles. Don't know how to stretch calf muscles? Whitley shows the proper technique. Also, get advice for developing a daily stretching routine. So, whether it's before a workout or just to get the blood flowing, learn some simple stretching exercises today!

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Les Whitley. Here today to talk to about developing a good neck stretching routine. With your neck especially the muscle are very small and delicate, and very prone to injury if you try to over do things. Take your time, ease into the stretches and don't over do it. Beginning with all motions of the neck and again like any other muscle the most important thing is to warm that muscle up properly, maybe even starting by neck circles 5 in each direction. Starting with the head down, to the side, back, opposite side, forward. Again for 5 rotations in a nice big easy circle. Change directions working both sides. Then by changing direction and the focus of the head just like a normal head turn would be, turning one side to the right, back to the left, to the right again, left. Try 5 to 10 times each side. Next looking up, down, up again, down, focusing your eyes in just a normal even gaze not necessarily eyeing in on one particular thing. The other stretches, again I caution you not to pull very hard but general pulls to the side, a nice easy tension but not pain. To the opposite side again holding each of these stretches from 5 up to 15 to 20 seconds depending on the nature of the stretch and how intense you want it to be. By relaxing gently into these stretches and adding then to your daily routine you increase your chances of flexibility, and reducing tension especially upper back and neck."