Neck Exercise Routine

TL;DR

You can improve neck muscle flexibility and relieve stiffness by combining gentle daily stretches, posture corrections, and light strengthening exercises.

Step-by-Step Routine

1. Warm-Up (1–2 minutes)

2. Neck Stretches (3–5 minutes)

Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) Stretch:

  • Sit upright on a chair
  • Tilt your head to the side (ear toward shoulder), then slightly rotate your chin up
  • Hold 20–30 seconds each side
  • Search request: "SCM stretch tutorial"

Scalene Stretch:

  • Gently tuck your chin in, tilt your head to the opposite side, and look downward or upward
  • Hold 20–30 seconds each side
  • Search request: "scalene muscle stretch routine"

3. Posture Check (throughout the day)

4. Strengthening Exercises (4–6 minutes)

Isometric Neck Exercise:

  • Place hand against forehead and gently push head forward while resisting
  • Hold 5–8 seconds, 3–5 reps. Repeat for back and sides
  • Search request: "isometric neck strengthening"

Shoulder Blade Squeeze:

  • Stand/sit tall, squeeze shoulder blades back and down
  • Hold 5–8 seconds, repeat 10 times

5. Functional Core & Shoulder Support

Kettlebell Shrugs:

  • Stand upright, hold kettlebell in one hand
  • Shrug shoulder up/down with slow controlled movements
  • 2–3 sets of 10 reps each side
  • Search request: "kettlebell shrug technique"

Planks on the Mat:

6. Self-Massage (1–2 minutes)

7. Cool-Down (1–2 minutes)

Key Context