My Favorite Gift 2020: Neck Stretches

I want share with you my favorite gift this year: stretches! ;-)

I will share a video and notes from the video on how to stretch out your neck if you spend considerable time on the computer each day.

Learn basic stretches that will improve your posture and neck.

This article will take you less than three minutes to read.

Introduction

I have found this to be one of the best gifts to everyone around me. It’s a course on Linked In Learning: Computer and Text Neck Stretching Exercise

NOTE If you cannot get it free for 24 hours, please contact me

The course is only 20minutes long and anyone can take the course for free for 24hours. You can get another 24hours if you share it.

I would recommend you to commit 1hour: 20minutes to take the course, another 40minutes to take notes.

For me, this course changed my posture and my neck. I hope it will improve yours too.

These are the notes I have taken for each exercise for my own reference.

Chicken neck

• exhale: push head forward, extending head over body
• inhale: pull head back towards body
• focus on neck, not body

This one does look goofy and it does help work out different parts of the neck muscle I forget to use by being on a computer all day.

Vulcan Mind Meld

• use thumbs to find pressure point between neck, head and back of ear
• plant thumbs in, use fingers for support around head
• pull head up, lengthening spine, hold
• release, let head return

This one changes my posture, I didn’t think I could “stretch my spine” until doing this. Wow.

Modified Cat-Cow

• in prime directive position
  • sit on front half of chair
  • feet planted
  • head up
  • get spine straight
• cat:
  • inhale: put head back and hold
  • exhale: return head to neutral position
• cow:
  • inhale: put head down towards chin and hold
  • exhale: return head to neutral position

I do this as part of my meditation as well. Just to change up the feeling.

Lengthening of Breath

• in prime directive position
  • sit on front half of chair
  • feet planted
  • head up
  • get spine straight
• close eyes
• breathe: increasing length of inhale and exhale slowly

I meditate and use my Apple Watch for breathing. If you need a break and just want to be at your desk, this is a great break.

Dynamic Wrist Movement

• hypnotists hands: arms up, just like you’re trying to hypnotize someone
• conductor hands: both up, left only, right only
• magician hands: pull scarves out of hat in front of you
• propeller hands: arms on side, wrists twists around and around, change direction
• squids: cross body movements where hands act like squid swimming

These I haven’t done as much as I want. I need to revisit these more often.

Neck movement for Wrists

• owl breaths: inhale: turn head to left/right; exhale: turn head to center
• dog tips: inhale: turn head over so ears are closer to left/right shoulder; exhale: return to center
• big yes: inhale: turn head upwards toward ceiling; exhale: return to neutral
  • add thumbs into base of neck behind ear and push into cavity

I do these to stretch out my neck. It compliments the neck massager on the trapezius

Conclusion

There you have it, one of my favorite gifts to give this year: stretches for your neck and wrists.

Feel free to pass this on to anyone you know that works on a computer or uses their phone too much to help them change their posture.