Do you feel like you are saying “yes” to everything these days? Make saying “yes” a neck exercise to help relieve neck tension. I know that doing head nods as neck exercises can be really easy to incorporate throughout your day and on a daily basis. The back of the neck will benefit from small gentle stretching motions. Doing head nods neck exercises will also help improve your neck posture.

No one will ever know that your nods are actually neck exercises and relieving stress on the neck. Make your head nods mean different yeses when you do say “yes” to someone. A small nod for “uhuh”, a moderate head nod for “oh ok”, a big head nod for “oh yea.” We tend to nod anyways during our conversations, now let’s consciously try to help our necks be pain free.

I’ll describe the head nods neck exercises as part of a clock, where the nose starts at 3 o’clock, the ceiling is 12 o’clock and the floor is 6 o’clock. Imagine your nose as the hand of the clock. These head nods neck exercises will be in the sitting position.

Sitting Position:
·         Feet flat on the floor
·         Rest your hands on your lap or by your side
·         Relax your shoulders
·         Bring your chin back towards your shoulders like a chin tuck
·         Eyes looking straight ahead
·         Your nose should be pointing at the wall straight ahead at 3 o’clock

Head Nod Neck Exercises:
·         Take a breath in and breath out with each movement
·         Lead your nose up towards to 2 o’clock and lower your nose to 4 o’clock
·         Raise your nose to 1 o’clock and bring your nose towards 5 o’clock
·         Bring your nose and head up towards 12 o’clock and then down to 6 o’clock
·         Lastly, bring your head back towards 11 o’clock and then towards your chest to 7 o’clock
·         Repeat 10 times with each movement

These head nods neck exercises should be slow, smooth and controlled motions. There should not be any pain or discomfort in the neck while doing any neck exercises. When doing these head nods neck exercises, relax the jaw and avoid clenching your teeth. You should feel your neck looser and less tense after this head nod neck exercises.

Other related neck exercises from the blog:
Neck Flexibility
Basic Neck Strengthening
Mid Range Isometric Strengthening
Deep Neck Flexors Strengthening

Do you find yourself having trouble looking over your shoulders while driving? Did you happen to wake up with a stiff neck and unable to turn your head in one direction? Relieve your neck tension or stiffness with head rotation neck exercises. These head rotation neck exercises will give your neck flexibility and mobility to restore your range of motion in your neck. 

This sitting head rotation neck exercises are similar to the lying down rotations. I’ll be describing the head rotation neck exercises in various range positions. By breaking up the head rotations into different movements will give your neck to be flexible. You’ll find that you gain more range when doing these head rotation neck exercises.

When you keep your head and neck flexible and mobile, you relieve neck tension and any neck discomfort. You will be able to breathe easier and won’t feel dizziness or any numbness and tingling. The side neck muscles when tight can clamp down on arteries, veins and nerves that produce the preceding symptoms in the neck and surrounding structures. With regular neck exercises and stretch exercises these reduce any neck pain and improve neck posture. 

When doing these head rotations neck exercises, think that your shoulders are part of the clock or a protractor. Your nose and head should first be straight ahead at 3 o’clock or 90 degrees. Each head rotation movement will go in increments of a number or approximately 30 degrees. Your left shoulder will be 12 o’clock or 0 degrees and your right shoulder will be 6 o’clock or 180 degrees.

Let’s get started!

Sitting Position:

• Feet flat on the floor

• Rest your hands on your lap or by your side

• Relax your shoulders

• Bring your chin back towards your shoulders like a chin tuck

• Eyes looking straight ahead

Head Rotation Neck Exercises:

• Take a breath in and breath out with each movement

• Lead your nose and chin to the left to 2 o’clock and then turn towards 4 o’clock

• Turn towards 1 o’clock and then turn towards 5 o’clock

• Turn left towards 12 o’clock and then rotate right towards 6 o’clock

• If you can, rotate your head towards 11 o’clock and then rotate right towards 7 o’clock

• Repeat 10 times and hold each position for a few seconds

These head rotations should be slow and controlled with no neck pain or discomfort. You may feel a stretch as you reach 12 o’clock or 6 o’clock. These head rotation neck exercises should be smooth movements with no jerkiness. Remember to relax the jaw to keep the face muscles from tensing up. You should now feel looser in the neck and be able to turn your head to see behind you when driving. 

Other related neck exercises for rotations from the blog:

Chin Down Semi Circles

Head Up Rotation

Do you have stiff neck muscles from sitting too long in one position? Relieve neck muscle tension with the face clock neck exercise. This simple and basic neck exercise is great in keeping your neck flexible. The face clock is the same as the lying down head clock but just in a sitting position.

The face clock neck exercise focuses on the first two cervical (neck) vertebrae spine the atlas and the axis. The atlas holds your head and the axis allows your head and atlas to turn side to side. The axis also allows the head nod with controlled neck movements. These two cervical spines are what give your head the ability to go in all directions.

Let’s begin by sitting up straight in the chair.

• Feet flat on the floor

• Rest your hands on your lap or by your side

• Relax your shoulders

• Bring your chin back towards your shoulders like a chin tuck

• Eyes looking straight ahead

Face Clock Neck Exercise:

• Take a breath in and have your nose go towards the 12 o’clock position

• Go through each number on the clock and slowly breathe out

• Let the tip of your nose be the clock hand and 

• Keep your eyes open and follow the direction your nose points to

Repeat 10 times clockwise and 10 counter clockwise.

Start with small head circle movements and then to large head circle movements. All neck movements and neck exercises should be done in a pain free zone. The face clock neck exercise motion should be slow and controlled. If you begin to feel dizzy go stop and then go slow.

The head and neck motion should make your neck muscles more mobile and flexible. There shouldn’t be any pull in the neck muscles in any direction. This face clock neck exercise and other neck exercises should relieve neck tension. The standing face or head clock will be described at a later time.

Other neck pain relief exercises from the blog:

Shoulder rolls

Neck Range of Motion

Upper Trapezius Stretch

Ever feel the back of your neck tight while looking down? Are you able to bring your chin towards your chest without pain? Here’s a good neck exercise to do for the back of the head. The neck extensor stretch exercises are great to loosen the small muscles in the back of the neck. This behind the head stretch exercises is also good for those who golf and want to be able to look down at the ball without pain.

This neck extensor stretch with the following lower cervical / upper thoracic and bicep / chest stretch exercises are a great neck exercises warm up. For a more complete neck workout be sure to include the chin down semi circle, shoulder shrugs and neck rotations. These exercises for neck will make looking down easier and pain free.

The behind the head or neck extensor stretch exercises can be done sitting or standing. I’ll describe these behind the head stretch exercises standing. You want to stand upright with your feet shoulders width apart, knees slightly bent, your shoulders relaxed, bring your chin towards back for a chin tuck and look straight ahead. Interlock your fingers and place your palms on the top part of the back of your head. Your elbows should be open towards the front and pinch your shoulder blades together. 

Take a breath in and slowly exhale while bringing your chin towards your chest. As you bring your chin down, have your hands guide your head down. Let your elbows come in towards your ears and let your shoulder blades separate from each other. Hold this position 30 seconds. Slowly bring your head back up and return to the starting position. Repeat this behind the head stretch exercises three times.

Be sure to keep your shoulders down while performing these stretch exercises otherwise you will lose the tension in the back of the neck. When you bring your head forward and down with your hands do so gently without straining the back of the neck. You should feel tension behind your head and neck release and dissipate. There should be no pain with any neck exercises or stretch exercises. 

Try this neck extensor stretch exercises and see if this improves your golf game. At the very least, you should be able to relieve neck tension and keep your neck flexible. I’ll describe other neck exercises to help with the golf game later on.

Ever feel the back of your neck tight? Maybe you even feel neck stiffness. Neck tension in the back of your head and shoulders could lead to muscle fatigue and neck pain. The neck extensor and upper trapezius muscles when tight will raise your shoulders towards your ears. Doing chin down semi circle neck exercises with other exercises for neck will help relieve neck tension. This neck exercise is similar to the head circles to help with neck range of motion.

The emphasis of chin down semi circle neck exercises is help with the deep neck extensor muscles be flexible. There are little neck muscles along the spine that connects from the base of the head and along the spine at various levels. These small neck muscles help with your neck range of motion. This neck exercise will also focus on the main neck extensors muscles for stretching and strengthening.

This chin down semi circle neck exercises will be described while sitting down. The key in these neck exercises is to have good posture. Be sure to sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor. Relax your hands in your lap and be sure your shoulders are down. Your chest should be pointing towards the wall while bringing your chin towards the back of your shoulders as a chin tuck. Your eyes start off by looking straight ahead.

Take a breath in and bring your chin down towards your chest while still maintaining your chin tuck. You should start to feel the back of your neck feeling a stretch. Your eyes should be looking towards the top of your knees. While maintaining your chin towards your chest, roll your left ear towards your left shoulder and hold for 10 seconds. You should feel a stretch feeling on the right side of your neck and the back of your neck.

Breathe out and semi circle roll your head towards the right shoulder. You will feel a stretch on the left side of your neck. Remember to keep your shoulders down for these neck exercises. Hold for 10 seconds and roll towards the left shoulder. Repeat this chin down semi circle neck exercises 10 times.

Doing these neck exercises as well as other stretch exercises will keep your neck from being stiff or tense. Combine this chin down semi circle with shoulder shrugs and the upper trapezius towel pull down stretch as a neck workout. Other neck tension neck exercises will be described at a later time.