Personal Neck Exercises

If tension and stress have your neck muscles burning, you may want to take matters into your own hands. You can strengthen and stretch your neck muscles with a few basic therapeutic exercises. Hand-resistance neck exercises are effective for relieving painful, stress-induced headaches and arthritis, as well as for improving strength, mobility, and muscular balance.

Gentle Cervical Stretches

Before you begin with resistance, warm up with gentle cervical stretches. Sit up with your spine straight, your head centered between your shoulders, and your abdominal muscles tucked in. Exhale, then slowly drop your chin to your chest until you feel a stretch in the back of your neck. Hold for a few seconds, and turn your chin in the direction of your left shoulder. Pause, then slowly move your chin all the way across your chest to the right shoulder. Return your chin to center, and lift your head back to neutral position.

Forward Hand Resistance

Forward hand resistance allows you to strengthen the muscles in the front of your neck, upper chest, and front of your shoulders. Sit up, with your shoulders down and vertebrae stacked, with head and chin centered between your shoulders. Place both palms on your forehead. Breathe in; as you exhale, press your head firmly into your hands; use your arm strength to resist the head's forward movement. Hold this posture, and slowly count to five. Pause and repeat three or four times.

Backward Hand Resistance

Applying resistance to the back of the head allows you to engage the muscles in the back of your neck, upper back, and shoulders. Again, align your head between your shoulders. Place your hands on the back of your head. Keep your chin level as you press your head back into your hands. Apply firm resistance with your hands, counting slowly to five. Pause and repeat three or four times. Before moving on to the next exercise, gently move your chin from side to side in lifted position.

Lateral Hand Resistance

To strengthen and stretch the cervical muscles --- which enable side-to-side motion --- place your right hand on the right side of your head and press your ear toward your right shoulder, applying resistance with your arm strength. Apply steady pressure for five to 10 seconds, release, rest, and repeat three or four times. Change to the left side, applying pressure with your left hand, and pressing left ear towards the shoulder. Resist the movement for five to 10 seconds, rest and repeat. Finish your personal neck workout by repeating the beginning stretches.