How many times have you woken up to a stiff cranky neck?
And to get it to go away, you might stretch it, massage it…heck you might even make the most elaborate pillow fort just to try and get a good night sleep!
But are you still waking up with that tight neck?
I feel your pain!
That's why I'm excited to show you a quick exercise you can do anywhere, that will release that tight, stiff neck so you can get on with your day.
WHY YOUR NECK IS STIFF
I’m sure each time you wake up with that neck pain you have this moment of ….why is this happening to me????
Well the answer…are you ready for this….is because your neck is weak.
Think about it…when was the last time you actually strengthened your neck? My guess is never, unless you have one of those medieval neck harnesses from back in the day.
So, what happens is, when your neck is weak, the nervous system will perceive this as a threat because it doesn’t feel safe with holding up the weight of your big ole noggin. Then, it locks down all the tissues of the neck to protect you from catastrophic injury.
HOW TO RELIEVE A STIFF NECK
In order to get your nervous system (and your stiff neck muscles) to calm down, we need to strengthen all the tissues of the neck. Once this happens, the nervous system will back off a little and your neck will finally loosen up.
Ok…enough yapping…let’s get moving. I love today’s exercise because it’s the easiest way to start developing strength around the neck.
The awesome part is it takes less than a minute and you don’t need any equipment. So you could literally roll out of bed and do this before you start your day.
BULLETPROOF THE REST OF YOUR BODY
For even more of my favorite mobility exercises to bulletproof your body, click the link below where you can get my 3 must-have mobility moves for free. Once you try them, you’ll see why they’re my all-time favorite.
ABOUT COACH MATT PIPPIN
Matt is a Strength and Mobility Coach with over 15 years experience in his field and has coached over a thousand professional, collegiate and everyday athletes with the goal to help them move, feel and perform at their highest level. He's incredibly passionate about bringing simple and effective online mobility training programs to everyone who wants to take control of their self care and make lasting change. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Certifications:
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Level 3: Fascial Stretch Specialist
Level 1: Institute of Motion Health Coach
Certified FRC Mobility Specialist (FRCms)
Level 1 Kinstretch Instructor
Weck Method Qualified