Lockdown Neck...

Lockdown Neck
The neck is a vulnerable part of the body at the best of times, but this current situation might be challenging it even more.

I have been chatting about this in class and giving advice as to how to manage discomfort but also how to avoid issues arising.

Chin Poke
(Where the chin is projected forwards, eg. looking at a screen, watching TV with a slumped posture, and as experienced yesterday..cycling!!) This is not a great prolonged position for the neck as it may compress an area at the base of the skull, which is richly innervated and houses many sensors responsible for controlling vital systems such as Vision and the Vestibular System (includes balance and dizziness). It is a super sensitive feedback area which if compromised can disrupt signals and can contribute to headaches.

We want to avoid compression and encourage length. In Pilates this can be achieved by using the Head Nod or Chin Nod at the start of the Curl Up or Roll Down etc which allows optimal length of this area. In daily life watch neck posture while using technology, especially watching a screen, and stretch the neck out after exercise like cycling. Gentle head rolls in lying or on a deflated ball can be very useful.

Thoracic Spine
Generally if the neck is giving trouble it is definitely worth checking out the flexibility of the spinal area of the rib cage, ie the Thoracic Spine. Stress can definitely stiffen this area. The head can only be in an optimal position if the spine is supporting it in good alignment.

Basically you need a flexible strong spine, organised and stacked up correctly to allow the head to sit on top.
Again watch general posture, the best Pilates cue for correct Thoracic alignment is to subtly raise the breast bone. Axial (spinal) elongation is what we are looking for, avoiding the over correction of pushing out the ribs.

Exercises like Spine Curl, Cat, Dart and Hip Rolls amongst many others, all help the Thoracic area stay flexible and strong.

Mid Back Support
The neck often becomes an issue if we allow our heads to sit forwards a lot (think texting, reading or weeding!) What often happens then is the muscles from the neck to the shoulder blades become overworked and tender. The ideal way to alleviate this is to re-stack the spine and therefore re-position the head.

Also when we use our arms we can lengthen these neck muscles by recruiting muscles in our mid back area. For example in Shoulder Drop we draw the shoulder blade around the back chest wall, leading with our little finger, which encourages the shoulder blade to glide round and allows release of our neck. When we do Four Point Kneeling or even Plank we need mid back support and less tension on the neck which again can be achieved by focussing on putting your weight through the little finger instead of the thumb!

It's all about training to balance our bodies and move efficiently, whilst off loading overworked areas.

FINALLY....VERY IMPORTANT (AND RELEVANT!)
When doing a ZOOM class please change your orientation on the mat often..change ends! and LISTEN to instructions instead of always looking…give your neck a break !!