Exercises To Strengthen The Neck

When most people think of exercises for the neck, they either think about stretching or body building exercises. However, there are muscle groups in the neck that require strengthening in order to maintain correct postural alignment. By strengthening, we are referring to functional strength, as opposed to the muscle building that a professional body builder may perform for his neck muscles.

Nowadays, our "forward" oriented society has produced many people who walk around in a perpetual forward head position. These people often have extremely weak deep cervical neck flexors. The forward head posture is often accompanied by rounded shoulders. This can cause the shoulder joint to malfunction, which in turn can cause tendon impingement, bursitis and rotator cuff injuries.

Weak cervical neck flexors can also create what is called a kyphotic posture. This type of alignment puts a considerable amount of pressure on the thoracic spine, which can result in reduced bone density and loss of height. Since the head is the heaviest part of the body, a perpetually forward head position can pull on the cervical spine. This can cause chronic muscle tightness as well as tension headaches. In some cases, the forward head posture can lead to cervical disc herniation.

Knowing which neck muscles to strengthen and which to stretch is a complex issue. Performing the wrong exercises, or performing the exercises in poor form can exacerbate an already volatile condition. The programs at BetterPosture.com provide a logical approach to neck strengthening exercise. The video and DVD display both good form and incorrect form. Stand tall and proud. Purchase your BetterPosture.com program today!