The bones, joints and muscles of your upper spine must remain strong to support your head. Include neck and upper-back exercises to improve the function of these structures. According to Paul Chek, author of "Equal But Not the Same," your head is about 8 percent of your body weight. If you weigh 145 lbs, your head is nearly 12 pounds. Imagine a 12-lb dumbbell balancing at the very top of your spinal column.
Neck Flexions
Neck flexions engage primarily your sternocleidomastoid muscle running from behind your ears to your collarbone. Use a 3-foot towel to pull against your forehead. Lie on your back with your head off the edge of a flat bench. Drape the towel across your forehead. Bend your chin toward your chest as you pull on the ends of the towel, manually resisting flexion.
Neck Extensions
Neck extensions activate the spinal extensors running along your spine, and your upper traps. When you rub the back of your neck, you are massaging the upper portion of your traps. Do this exercise in a seated position. Bend your head down and drape the towel across the back of your head. Straighten your head to do neck extensions while you pull on the ends of the towel, providing manual resistance.
Dumbbell Shrugs
Dumbbell shrugs work your traps and your levator scapulae. Your levator muscles arise on the first four spinal bones then insert at the tip of your shoulder blade. Perform shrugs standing up with a dumbbell in each hand. Relax your arms beside you, then raise both shoulders toward your ears. Lower your shoulders back down to complete a dumbbell shrug.
Head Rolls and Rotations
Head rolls and rotations help you retain the range of motion at your neck while working the smaller splenius capitis and semispinalis capitis muscles. Do these exercises sitting down or standing up. Look left and right three times per side, rotating as far as possible to incorporate a stretch. Next, drop your right ear toward your right shoulder. Slowly bring your head and chin toward your chest, rolling your head downward then back up toward your left shoulder. Complete three rotations.
Prone Dumbbell Rows
Prone dumbbell rows focus on your rhomboids, a small muscle running at a diagonal from the spinal bones of your lower neck/upper back to the upper portion of your shoulder blades. Place two dumbbells on the floor, one on each side of a flat bench. Lie down with your chest against the bench. Grab a dumbbell in each hand then raise both elbows past your rib cage, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower the dumbbells to repeat the rows. If you have very long arms, elevate the flat bench on top of an aerobic step to give you a greater range of motion.
References
- "Equal But Not The Same, Considerations for Training Females"; C.H.E.K. Institute; 1997
- "Anatomy & Physiology"; Gary Thibodeau, Ph.D. and Kevin Patton, Ph.D.; 2007
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
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