The 5 Best Exercises For Improving Neck Mobility & Relieving Pain

Author:  Dr. Artem Imnadze, DPT

Do you find yourself turning your entire body just to look over your shoulder while driving? Or maybe you notice your neck doing most of the work during an ab workout. If so, you are likely dealing with a restricted and overactive neck.

This is extremely common in a stress driven world where many people spend hours each day on computers and cell phones.

Unfortunately, many suggested solutions fail to address the real cause of restricted neck mobility. Instead, they rely on passive stretching that acts as a temporary band aid for symptoms. Others avoid stretching altogether and are told to fix their posture or perform strengthening exercises like face pulls. Neither approach consistently solves the underlying issue and in some cases can make symptoms worse.

Below are five exercises designed to target the most common contributors to restricted neck mobility, which tend to be faulty breathing patterns, limited rib cage movement, and repetitive movement habits.

For best results, these exercises should be performed in the order listed.

 

#1. Zercher band Breathing 

 

You might wonder why improving neck mobility starts with breathing and upper back expansion. There are two important reasons.

First, the muscles that extend your neck and resist rotation attach all the way down into the middle of your upper back. If upper back mobility is limited, neck mobility will almost always suffer.

Second, many muscles on the front and back of the neck act as accessory breathing muscles. This means they help move the rib cage to allow the lungs to expand. If the rib cage is stiff and cannot expand properly, these neck muscles are forced to work harder than they should. Over time, this leads to increased tension and overactivity.

Zercher band breathing helps improve rib cage mobility and encourages expansion of the mid and upper back.

Perform: 3 to 5 sets of 5 breaths

 

#2. Staggered Stance DB Curls

Biceps curls for neck pain might sound strange, but there is a method behind it.

The arm position mirrors the previous exercise, and curling the weight encourages the shoulder to move down and away from the ear. Adding slight neck rotation introduces much needed movement while maintaining rib cage expansion.

This position also places the upper trapezius, a common contributor to neck tightness, into a lengthened state. Breathing during the movement reinforces this position and helps reduce excess tension.

Perform: 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps on the restricted side
Both sides can be trained if needed

 

#3. Lower Body Rolling

The human spine is made up of 33 segments, with 26 capable of movement. Healthy motion depends on segmental movement, meaning each segment can move independently rather than the spine moving as one rigid unit.

When segmental motion is lost, movement becomes stiff and robotic. This often shows up as turning your entire body instead of simply turning your neck.

Lower body rolling teaches segmental movement from the bottom up. The motion starts at the hips and pelvis and finishes with the neck. An inhale at the end of the roll reinforces upper back and neck rotation.

Perform: 2 to 3 sets of 6 rolls on the restricted side
Both sides can be trained if needed

#4. Rolling Arm Bar 

Once you are comfortable with more passive or controlled neck movement, it is time to introduce more active motion.

The rolling arm bar is an excellent tool for restoring and maintaining neck mobility. The kettlebell encourages shoulder reach, which helps maintain upper back expansion.

This exercise uses the same bottom up segmental movement pattern as lower body rolling. Keeping your eyes on the kettlebell teaches the body to actively rotate the neck through a full range of motion.

Neck fatigue is common at first, as you are retraining proper movement patterns. Most people notice improved baseline neck motion after performing this exercise.

Perform: 2 to 3 sets of 6 rolls on the restricted side
Both sides can be trained if needed

 

#5. Turkish Get Up 

Overhead shoulder movement is closely linked to movement of the lower cervical spine. This is why weightlifters often jut their head forward when pressing overhead. It helps maintain the relationship between shoulder and neck mechanics.

The Turkish get up trains this relationship effectively. The kettlebell encourages shoulder reach and upper back expansion while keeping the neck moving in coordination with the shoulder.

Maintaining your gaze on the kettlebell reinforces proper neck and shoulder mechanics. Looking upward also places the muscles on the front of the neck in a lengthened position.

This movement ties together all of the mechanics addressed in the previous four exercises.

Perform: 2 to 3 sets of 3 reps on the restricted side
Both sides can be trained if needed