Hi All and welcome to another 'Stretch of the Week' !  This week we return to the neck.  I have chosen this particular stretch because it compliments our first stretch so well, and when done in tandem they can provide a well balanced regime for maintaining health neck muscles.  It is quite similar to the first Stretch of the Week that focussed on the posterior neck, and targets the same muscle as the variation for that stretch - the SternoCleidoMastoid (or SCM).  

Just like the other neck stretch you can do this stretch either sitting or standing, but again I would recommend doing it sitting down.  Why? - because just like the other neck stretch, if you stretch standing up your body's reflexes will activate to prevent you from over balancing and this will in turn reduce the effectiveness of your stretch.

Technique:
Sit tall - elongate your spine, hold your head up and don't slouch or hunch your shoulders.

Interlock your hands and place them on your forehead.  Take a deep breath in, then as you exhale lighty pull your head backwards as if looking to the sky directly above you.  You should feel stretching tension through the front of your neck down to your collar bones (or Clavicles).

Hold this position for 15-20 seconds, and don't hold your breath, then gently release the tension.

Tips:
Try to keep your neck long as it extends over your shoulders - that is don't let it slouch or collapse on itself.  Imagine you are leaning your head over a pipe or some other structure that is placed immediately behind your neck and shoulders.

Try not to hunch your shoulders up as you stretch.  Some of the muscles you are stretching attache to your clavicles and 1st/2nd ribs, and if you hunch up your shoulders it will lessen the effectiveness of your stretch.  Just like with the other neck stretch, mentally try to stabilise your shoulders and lock them down to maximise your reward for effort.

Try not to pull too hard - only to the point of tension in the muscles of the front of your neck.  Don't forget there are delicate structures that run through your throat - especially your airway!  Don't restrict your oxygen by over stretching your neck.

Variation to include some rotation:
The stretch as outlined above will stretch both sides of your neck simultaneously - that is left & right, not front & back by the way.  As you become more comfortable with this stretch you can progress to this variation that includes some slight rotation to target each side individually, and reap a greater stretch for your efforts.

Technique:
Use the same starting position as for the original stretch, then place your right hand on your forhead with the fingers slightly more on the left to give better control.  Prepare exactly the same as before - elongate your neck, stabilise your shoulders, deep breath in.  This time when you exhale, gently pull it to the right and back, as if trying to put your ear just behind your shoulder ... follow me?  Hold this for 15-20 seconds, continuing to breath, then gently release and repeat on the other side.  Remember that it takes 1 stretch on both sides of this variation to equal just 1 of the original version of this stretch - don't leave yourself unbalanced!

Always remember to relax into your stretches - don't fight against the stretch (it may cause more harm than good), and always do each stretch 3 times, at least twice each day.

Taken from "Stretching Anatomy" by A.G.Nelson and J.Kokkonen - pp 4-5

Hi All and welcome to our very first 'Strtetch of the Week!'

I have given some consideration to where to start and how to progress through the body with these stretches.  Some people are more interested in upper body stretches, while others are more interested in stretches for their legs and hips, so we will take this in 'turn-around' style.  This week we will start with a neck stretch, and next week we will cover a leg stretch, then back to the upper body, then down to legs again, and so on.  Hopefully this keeps everyone interested.  If you are seeking stretches for a specific area, please let me know and we'll look at it for you as quickly as possible ... Now, on with the stretch.

This stretch focusses on the back of your neck, and primarily the Upper Trapezius muscle - i'm sure everyone has heard of that muscle and knows exactly where to find it.  You can do this stretch either standing or sitting down, but I recommend doing it sitting down because it will probably give you a better stretch.  "Why?" I hear you ask - if you do this stretch standing up your body's reflexes can/will come into play to stop you from loosing your balance, and this can reduce the effectiveness of your stretch.

Technique:
Sit tall ... by this I mean sit up and elongate your spine.  Try to hold your head up and don't slouch your neck or hunch your shoulders.

Interlock your hands and place them on the back of your head.  Take a deep beath in, then as you exhale lightly pull your chin to your chest until you feel a stretching tension through the back of your neck.

Hold this position for 15-20 seconds, and don't hold your breath, then gently release the tension.

Tips:
Try to keep your neck long - that is don't let it slouch or collapse on itself.

Try not to let your scapulas (shoulder blades) ride up your back.  The Trapezius muscle attaches to the Scapulas and if they ride up it will lessen your stretch.  Mentally try to stabilise your scapulas and 'lock' them down to maximise your reward for effort.

Try to touch your chin as far down your chest as possible.

Variation to include some rotation:
When the back of your neck (or your Neck Extensors) become flexible you can progress to stretching each side individually which will stretch another neck muscle as well - the SternoCleidoMastoid (or SCM).  The technique is basically the same, except instead of using both hands to gently pull from the centre of the back of your head you can use 1 hand to pull from the opposite side of the back of your head ... follow me?

Technique:
Use the same start position as for the first stretch, then place your right hand on the back of your head but slightly more to the left side.  Prepare exactly the same as before - elongate your neck, stabilise your shoulders, deep breath in - but when you gently pull your head, pull it to your right as if trying to put your chin on your right shoulder.  Hold this for your 15-20 seconds, continuing to breathe, then release and repeat on the other side.

Always remember to relax into your stretches - don't fight against the stretch (it may cause more harm than good), and always do each stretch 3 times, at least twice each day.

Taken from "Stetching Anatomy" by A.G.Nelson and J.Kokkonen - pp 2-3