Digital life often requires us to sit hunched over our computers and phones. After a long work day, you might find yourself battling a stiff, sore neck and cramped shoulders.
"Over time our upper body muscles, specifically our neck and shoulders, become tight in this rounded position," said Nico Gonzalez, a certified trainer and Pilates instructor, Balanced Body educator, integrated movement specialist, and owner of Fitness Physiques by Nico G.
This 'tight' muscle feeling is probably down to overuse, as your neck and shoulder muscles have to constantly contract to hold your head in an awkward position while you're peering at your screen. Doing this for long periods can cause serious issues, such as a loss of mobility and chronic pain.
While this all might sound quite scary, there are some things you can do to prevent ‘tech neck'. Gonzalez recommends giving yourself a screen break, regularly exercising and managing your stress levels. He also gave us the following three stretches to help release tension in the area.
Three stretches to relieve neck and shoulder stiffness
Setup: Stand tall facing a wall and bring your body as close to the wall as is comfortable without pain.
The I stretch
- Start with your arms stretched overhead with palms flat on the wall. Your arms should look like two capital letter ‘I’s.
- Begin by slowly taking your hand and arm away from the wall, but keeping your arms long.
- Alternate arms for a total of 10 repetitions on each arm.
The Y stretch
- Start with your arms stretched overhead and wide with palms flat on the wall. Your arms should look like the capital letter Y.
- Begin by slowly taking your hand and arm away from the wall, but keeping your arms long.
- Alternate arms for a total of 10 repetitions on each arm.
The T stretch
- Start with your arms stretched straight out to your sides with palms flat on the wall. Your arms should look like the capital letter T.
- Begin by slowly taking your hand and arm away from the wall, but keeping your arms long.
- Alternate arms for a total of 10 repetitions on each arm.
Feeling stiff in your lower body, too? Have a go at these hip stretches and hip strengthening exercises, which can help relieve tension in the area.
