A physical therapist is a health-care professional who helps individuals who are suffering from physical injuries and ailments that require rehabilitation. With respect to neck fat, while it is not possible to spot reduce fat in any part of the body, a physical therapist can help you improve range of motion in your neck as well as help you strengthen your neck muscles. Improving your neck motion can help lead you to more active neck exercises, as well as cardiovascular exercises that will help you reduce fat in your entire body as well as your neck.
Aerobic Exercises
While aerobic exercises can be performed individually, performing them with the aid and instruction of a physical therapist can help you maximize your weight loss as well as reduce your risk of injury. Aerobic exercises range from running to swimming and biking. Any exercise that gets your heart rate up and helps you burn calories can help you reduce neck fat. In addition to basic exercises, performing aerobic dance moves with your physical therapist can help you reduce neck fat. Other aerobic exercises you can perform with your physical therapist are stair-stepper and elliptical machine exercises.
Stretching
One of a physical therapist's primary jobs is to give you a list of proper stretches and exercises that will help you loosen the muscles in your neck. A direct side effect of excess neck fat is strained neck and back muscles. As a result, strengthening and stretching exercises for your neck will help you improve range of motion in your neck. This will indirectly help you reduce neck fat by allowing you to perform more aerobic exercises without debilitating neck pain. Neck stretching exercises range from forward flexion to oblique rotation stretches.
Neck Muscle Therapy
Neck muscle therapy focuses primarily on strengthening the muscles around your neck to put less tension and pain on your neck muscles themselves. If your neck fat is causing you to have poor posture as well as poor range of motion, a physical therapist will administer muscle therapy exercises to strengthen your upper back, shoulders and upper traps. Muscle therapy exercises range from shoulder extensions to weighted shoulder shrugs. To perform weighted shoulder shrugs, hold a dumbbell in each hand. From here, lift up with your shoulders, holding this position for five to 10 seconds. Repeat until fatigued.
Diet
In addition to reducing neck fat through exercise, cutting your calories by eating healthy can also help you reduce and improve neck fat. While a nutritionist will be most helpful with respect to what you can and cannot eat, your physical therapist can help recommend foods, drinks and supplements that will help reduce your caloric intake as well as give you the energy you need to perform aerobic exercises for extended periods of time. Eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and protein will help you sustain energy throughout the day as well as help you lose weight.
