The best neck stretches for the home office

Do you regularly suffer from uncomfortable tension and pain in your neck? That might be because you spend a lot of your working day sitting, and don't move much on top of that. Neck stretches are an effective remedy for neck pain.

Pain in the neck, which often radiates into the back of the head or the shoulder and back area, is caused by tense muscles in the neck area pressing on the nerves. This is usually the result of staying in poor posture for a long time, but also sleeping in the wrong position, as well as drafts, stress and tension, which can all lead to tense muscles and painful cramping in the neck.

In this blog post, I'll show you 4 simple neck stretches that can help relieve your discomfort and effectively prevent muscle tension.

Correct sitting is essential for a healthy neck!

Especially people who sit a lot for work and spend long hours at a desk get little movement, and are therefore more often tense. If you also work from home without an ergonomic workspace, the risk that you'll adopt poor posture leading to muscle tension in the neck is even higher.

To protect your neck, correct sitting posture is essential. Make sure your office chair and desk height are set correctly. The right distance between your eyes and the monitor matters too. But in a stressful workday, it's not always easy to remember correct sitting posture, right?

Relieving and preventing discomfort with neck stretches

To relieve your discomfort and prevent muscle tension, neck stretches are very effective. By stretching, you can loosen your neck muscles, release blockages and relax your shoulders.

You can do the following 4 exercises right at your desk while working, and give your neck a break in between:

Neck stretch 1: stretching the lateral neck muscles

• Sit up straight and pull your left shoulder down.
• Then turn your head 45 degrees to the left.
• Reach your right hand over your head and place it just above your left ear.
• Extend your left arm toward the floor and pull your head to the right until you feel a stretch in the left side of your neck.
• Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds.
• Gently pull your chin toward your chest to deepen the stretch.
• Breathe steadily in and out.
• Repeat the exercise on the other side.

Exercise 2: stretching the back of the neck

• Keep your upper body upright.
• Interlace your hands and place them on the back of your head.
• Pull your head down so your chin rests on your chest. Keep pulling until you feel a clear stretch in your neck muscles.
• Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds.

Neck stretch 3: stretching the front of the neck

• You can also do exercise 2 in the opposite direction, by tilting your head back.
• Gently push your forehead back with your fingers until you feel a pull in the front of your neck.
• Hold the position for about 30 seconds as well.

Exercise 4: shoulder circles and shrugs

• Let your arms hang down relaxed and circle both shoulders forward at the same time. Make the circles as big as possible.
• Repeat the movement 15 to 25 times.
• Then circle your shoulders backward 15 to 25 times.
• Raise your shoulders toward your ears and hold this position for about 5 seconds. Relax your shoulders and lower them again. Repeat the movement 5 to 10 times.

To get rid of your discomfort as quickly as possible, I recommend fitting these 4 exercises into your day several times. Also keep a constant eye on your sitting posture. Correct your posture as often as you can, and keep standing up.

Most tension in the neck and shoulder area is the result of too little movement in these areas and staying locked in an unfavourable position.

Other remedies for neck pain

Various sports, such as cycling (your bike needs to be properly adjusted to you!) and swimming, are also very helpful when it comes to preventing painful tension in the neck area. That's because both cycling and swimming relax and strengthen the neck muscles.

To prevent poor posture and postural damage, it's especially important that you strengthen your back and core muscles. Because a strengthened core and a strong back support your posture and stop you from sinking into an unfavourable position.

Strengthening your back and core muscles in online personal training

I'd be happy to show you in virtual personal training from my 360-degree studio how you can specifically strengthen your back and core muscles with strength training and protect yourself from neck pain in the home office. Sign up now for a free 30-minute consultation!

Besides neck stretches and strength training, heat is another great remedy for loosening cramped muscles, for example with a cherry pit cushion or a hot water bottle. Essential oils like rosemary, lavender or peppermint can also help relax your muscles and boost blood flow to the tissue.

If further symptoms occur alongside your neck pain, such as tingling or numbness, you should have your neck pain treated by a doctor.