The Only 5 Pilates Moves You Need to Ease Neck Pain

If your job requires you to sit in front of a computer screen all day, you're at a greater risk of dealing with aches and pains in your neck. In fact, up to 69 percent of office workers report experiencing neck pain, according to a May-June 2022 paper in ‌Pain Reports‌.

"Bad posture, misplaced stress and breathing techniques that are not mindful can all result in severe neck pain," says Alexis Sweeney, certified Pilates instructor at Equinox clubs in NYC and creator of the Silhouette by Alexis app and virtual platform.

Hunching over your laptop all day can strain your neck muscles, contributing to poor posture, neck pain and tightness, per the Mayo Clinic.

Along with being mindful of your posture, taking a mid-day break to do a few Pilates moves can help you find relief and even prevent neck pain down the line. In fact, Pilates is a great practice to help alleviate tension and stress throughout your body — your neck included.

Below, Sweeney shares her go-to five-move routine for neck pain relief.

"A simple but consistent practice of these five exercises below can not only alleviate the stress but also train you to carry yourself longer, taller and more confidently in your body," Sweeney says.

This exercise is great for not only calming your nervous system and ridding your body of stress and anxiety as you drop the breath out of your chest, but it also trains your core to be engaged in everything that you do, Sweeney says.

"Training yourself how to drop your breath out of your chest and into your low diaphragm is the start of correcting your posture, lengthening your spine and dissolving stress and tension throughout your body — including in your neck," she says.

"Developing a strong core is one of the best ways to alleviate any stress or tension in your head, neck, shoulders and spine," Sweeney says.

Along with diaphragmatic breathing (above), keeping your core engaged in everything you do will help fix bad posture and build bodily awareness and proper alignment.

"This is no quick fix, as it takes time and consistency in your practice," Sweeney says.

Think of this exercise as a self-massage to your neck, shoulders and spine as well as a tool to help you gain core stability. This move helps activate deeper fibers in your core to help you balance, Sweeney says.

"Whenever I, personally, [experience] from pain from my scoliosis, it always feels good to massage my vertebrae into the mat and dissolve any stress," Sweeney says. "Maintaining the C-curve in your spine is also a great way to create space between each vertebra — the neck included — while training yourself to maintain the low diaphragmatic breath and deep core connection."

Not only does this move marry together the skillset of diaphragm breathing and engaging your core while creating space and length in your neck and spine, but it also adds a slight twist to rinse out your thoracic spine, Sweeney says.

Plus, "twisting while training deep engagement in your core while stretching your hamstrings to dissolve tightness throughout your posterior chain [the backside of your body] can immensely alleviate stress around your neck," Sweeney says.

In this move, avoid tension in your neck by pulling the chin forward.

"You'll build awareness in your posture, your core and your breath control to create a sense of consistent length in your body to alleviate any and all stress in your neck and your spine," Sweeney says.