Modern life can take a toll on our necks and shoulders, as we look down at phone screens and hunch over laptops to do our work. If you’re feeling tight in your neck and shoulders, try these exercises to gently relax some of the muscles.
Vertical Traction
Sit down in a chair with your back as straight as possible. With a weight in each hand (use cans if you don’t have dumbells), raise your hands above your head. Hold there for a moment, and then slowly draw each arm down so that your hands are level with your hips. Then, slowly lift your arms back above your head. Repeat this sequence as many times as you can. Not only are you working on your neck and shoulders, but you are also giving your biceps a bit of a workout too.
Low Row
Sit in a chair and bend forward slightly so that you are looking down at your toes. Reach your arms out in front of you, with a weight in each hand if you want one. Pull back, so that your hands are level with your hips (as if you’re rowing a boat), and then slowly return your hands to their outstretched position. Repeat as many times as possible.
Reverse Fly
Start seated in a chair. Lift your arms so that your fists are by your ears (elbows should be at a right angle). Pull your arms back, as far as they will go, so that you feel a stretch in your shoulders and at the top of your spine. Return them to the original position, and repeat.
