Pilates Exercises To Relieve Neck & Jaw Tension

Keeping your body relaxed and strengthening the deep stabilization muscles of your waist, called centering, are the two main principles of Pilates. Neck and jaw tension can be relieved by doing Pilates because the exercises emphasize stretching, breathing and relaxation. Classic exercises such as the Swan-Neck Roll and Threading the Needle stretch the muscles of your throat and neck.

The Preparation

The Preparation is a Pilates exercise that teaches the relaxation principle of Pilates. It may be used in the beginning of a Pilates workout to relax your jaw, neck, hips, spine and thighs. Lie on your Pilates mat, face up. Bend your knees and place your bare feet onto the mat with your legs and feet together. Let your shoulders fall to the floor, relax your jaw and breathe deeply. Imagine your back melting into the mat and your spine elongating. Take deep breaths through your nose and remain in this position until you feel completely relaxed.

The Swan-Neck Roll

The Swan-Neck Roll stretches the muscles of the throat and neck. The abs and spine muscles stretch too. During this exercise, close your mouth and breathe through your nose, but do not tense your jaw. Relax your jaw and drop your shoulders down and back away from your ears during this exercise. Tensing your shoulders can also cause your neck to tense. Lie on your stomach to do the exercise. Rest the tops of your feet on the floor. Place your hands next to your shoulders and press your upper body off the floor as you straighten your arms. Begin looking forward. Then, slowly turn to look left. Tilt your chin to your chest and roll your head to the right, finishing by looking to the right. Roll the head back to the left and then look straight forward again.

Threading the Needle

Threading the Needle targets the muscles of the upper back and neck, which can contribute to neck tension. It is important to keep your shoulders down and pulled back during this exercise, which strengthens the muscles near the shoulder blades. Come onto your mat on all fours. Align your hands with your shoulders and your knees with your hips. Straighten your spine so that your back is flat, and align your neck as an extension of your spine. This is the starting position. Next, bend your right elbow and reach under your body to place the back of your right hand on the floor. Rotate your shoulders to the right and slide your right hand along the floor toward your left until your right shoulder is on the floor. Twist your neck to look at your right hand and rest your head on the floor. Reverse the motion and repeat on the left.