Top 3 exercises for sore necks with Dr. John Morrow

by | May 20, 2020 | Wellness, Workout

Neck pain usually comes from weakness in the neck and upper back even when it feels tight and you feel like it needs to be stretched. 

Rhomboid exercises to strengthen your back

Prone lateral raise

1 Lie flat on your stomach on a mat or bench. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand. Place your forehead on the mat. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your arms extended and fully rested. Your palms should face in toward your body. This is your starting position.

2 Lift your arms up to your sides until your elbows are at shoulder height and your arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale. Keep your arms perpendicular to your torso and fully extended through the movement.

3 When you’ve reached shoulder height, squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for one count. Only your arms should be lifting up, nothing else. The goal is to isolate your upper back.

4 Inhale, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Repeat 8 times.

Rear delt flys

1 Sit down on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your knees at a 90-degree angle. Hinge forward at the hips and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing away from you. Have the dumbbells resting in the space between your legs and the bench. Your stomach should be on your thighs, and your arms should be fully extended to your sides. This is your starting position.

2 Exhale and engage your core. In one motion, perform a reverse fly while lifting your torso away from your thighs and sitting upright.

3 As you raise the dumbbells out to your sides, rotate your wrists so they’re now facing the ceiling, ending at shoulder height. You may bend your elbows slightly if you need to. Your upper body should be in a “T” position.

4 When you’re seated tall with your palms at shoulder height, rotate your wrists downward to the floor and back up to the ceiling one time. This forces you to hold this position for an extra count. You’ll strengthen your forearms and contract your shoulder blades down and back.

5 Inhale, slowly reverse the steps, and lower the dumbbells back down to your starting position with your torso on your thighs. Repeat 12 times.

Pec stretch

1 Lay on your back with your fingers interlaced behind your head.

2 Draw both elbows back to open up your shoulders and stretch your pecs.

3 Hold the stretch position for 15 to 30 seconds.

4 Repeat 2-3 times.

We hope that these exercises help you with any neck pain that you may be experiencing! Let us know if you have any questions.