This program will allow most people to create a baseline level of flexibility and strength. This first article focuses on relaxation of the neck. The neck should be strong, relaxed and balanced. This is important so the head can sit comfortably on top of the neck, and so the nerves that send information to and from the arms and hands can function without undue mechanical stress. Back to top Abdominal breathing Tense breathing patterns frequently cause neck pain and headaches.
Many people use the neck muscles to breathe, instead of their diaphragm muscle.
As a result these muscles work overtime with every breath they take. Neck breathers lift their rib cage with each breath, and their neck and shoulders often look as though they lift weights even though they may be quite sedentary. To unload the neck muscles, you need to learn to breathe with the diaphragm muscle. Place one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen. When you breathe in, try to make the belly push that hand outwards, and not to move the chest at all.