Do you deal with recurring neck tension or upper back pain? A stiff neck and neck pain can be caused by weak muscles. The result is stiff muscles in your neck and shoulders, pain and even limit mobility.

The main reason for neck tension and pain is often a lack of mobility of the thoracic spine. The thoracic spine is designed to move in the form of rotations (turning), flexion (bending) and extensions (straightening).

However, the opposite is often the case in daily life. Many of us spend our workdays sitting at our desk, which limits the functional mobility of the spine. This especially happens when we work from home; our movement might be limited to walking from our chair to the couch or from the kitchen to the bathroom.

Don’t worry, with some daily commitment, you’ll be in less pain in no time. Let’s get started.

Stretch:

Loosen up the muscles in your problem area with a good stretch. Stretching helps restore and maintain flexibility, promote range of motion, and improve blood flow — all of which can alleviate pain

Pick a handful of the stretches below and run through as many as you can at one time. Try to spend at least 30 seconds — ideally 1 to 2 minutes — on each move.

Neck side bend and rotation

Targets: neck and upper back

How to:

Stand or sit facing forward, and begin by tilting your neck to the right.
You should feel the stretch through your neck to your trap muscle.
After about 10 seconds, slowly roll your head in a counterclockwise direction.
Pause for 10 seconds when you reach your left shoulder.
Complete the rotation by ending where you started.
Repeat these steps rolling in a clockwise direction.
Repeat this sequence 2-3 times.

Shoulder roll

Targets: shoulders and upper back

How to:

Stand with your arms down at your sides.
Roll your shoulders backward in a circular motion, completing 5 rotations.
Then complete 5 rotations forward.
Repeat this sequence 2-3 times.

Overhead arm reach

Targets: shoulders and upper back

How to:

Sit in a chair, facing forward with your feet on the ground.
Extend your right arm up above your head and reach to the left.
Bend your torso until you feel the stretch in your right lat and shoulder.
Return to start.
Repeat 5 times, then do the same thing with your left arm.

Pec stretch

Targets: shoulders and upper back

How to:

You’ll need a doorway for this stretch.
Trusted Source.
Step into the doorway and place your forearms on the door frame
. Make sure your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle.
Let the weight of your body fall forward slightly so that you feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders.
Hold for 10 seconds and release.
Repeat 3 times.

Chair rotation

Targets: upper, mid, and lower back

How to:

Sit sideways in a chair.
Your right side should be resting against the back of the chair.
Keeping your legs stationary, rotate your torso to the right, reaching for the back of the chair with your hands.
Hold your upper body there, using your arms to stretch deeper and deeper as your muscles loosen.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Repeat 3 times on each side.

Cat cow

Targets: mid and lower back

How to:

Start on all fours with your neck neutral.
Your palms should be directly under your shoulders, and your knees should be directly under your hips.
On your next inhale, tuck your pelvis and round out your mid back.
Draw your navel toward your spine and drop your head to relax your neck.
After 3-5 seconds, exhale, and return to a neutral spine position.
Then turn your face toward the sky, allowing your back to sink toward the floor.
Hold for 3-5 seconds.
Repeat this sequence 5 times.

Child’s Pose

Targets: shoulders, upper, mid, and lower back

How to:

Start on the ground on all fours.
With your big toes touching, spread your knees as far apart as they’ll go and sit your butt back onto your feet.
Sit straight up with your arms extended above your head.
On your next exhale, hinge at the waist and drop your upper body forward between your legs.
Allow your forehead to touch the floor, your shoulders to spread, and your butt to sink back.
Hold for at least 15 seconds.

Knee to chest

Targets: lower back

How to:

Lay with your back on the ground.
Bend your left leg and bring it to your chest.
Hold for 10 seconds and release.
Repeat with your right leg.
Complete the whole sequence 3 times.

Thoracic extension

Targets: upper and mid back

How to:

For best results, use a foam roller or a chair.
If you’re using a foam roller, position it under your thoracic spine.
Allow your head and butt to fall on either side.
Extend your arms above your head to deepen the stretch.
If you’re using a chair, sit facing forward and allow your upper body to fall over the back of the chair.
Extend your arms above your head for a deeper stretch.
Hold either position for 10 seconds and release. Repeat 3 times.

Butterfly

Targets: shoulders and upper back

How to:

Place your palms on opposite shoulders, and bring your elbows together to touch.
Hold for 5 seconds and release.
Complete 3-5 more times.

Strengthen:

Strengthening the muscles in your back, shoulders, and neck is vital to reduce and prevent pain. Choose a handful of the moves below to target them. Some of these moves involve dumbbells or resistance bands, and some just use your body weight. Pick a mix, if possible.

Row

Targets: upper back

How to:

Use a resistance band or a light to medium dumbbell to complete this move.
Affix the resistance band to a pole or other stable surface and grab each handle, extending your arms.
Pull the handles straight back by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body.
You should feel your lats working.
If you’re using a dumbbell, hold it in your right hand and brace yourself on a wall with your left hand, arm extended.
Hinge at the waist to a 45-degree angle, allowing the dumbbell to hang down.
Keeping your neck neutral and your knees soft, pull the dumbbell directly up with a tucked elbow.

Face pull

Targets: shoulders and upper back

How to:

Use a resistance band to complete this move.
Affix the band to a stable surface above eye level.
Grab each handle with an overhand grip.
Pull directly toward your face, flaring your upper arms out to the sides and squeezing your shoulders together.
Pause and return to start.
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps.

Scapular squeeze

Targets: shoulders and upper back

How to:

With your arms down by your sides, squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 10 seconds and release.
Repeat 3 to 5 times.

Wall angels

Targets: neck, shoulders, and upper back

How to:

Stand with your back flat against a wall.
You may need to step your feet out slightly to allow your back to completely soften against the wall.
Extend your arms out to create a “T” shape against the wall, then bend your elbows to create a 90-degree angle.
Slowly move your arms up and down in a “snow angel” motion, ensuring that they stay flat against the wall the whole time.
When your fingers touch above your head, return to the start.
Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.

Reverse dumbbell fly

Targets: shoulders and upper back

How to:

Grab two light dumbbells and stand, hinged at the waist at a 45-degree angle, with your arms hanging straight down.
Keeping your neck neutral and your gaze down, begin to lift your arms out to the side and up.
Squeeze your shoulders together at the top of the movement.
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps.

Lat pull-down

Targets: shoulders and upper back

How to:

Sit or stand underneath a resistance band attached to a stable surface overhead.
Pull down on the band until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
Pause at the bottom, squeezing your lats, and return to start.
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps.

Superman

Targets: mid and lower back

How to:

Lay on your stomach with your arms extended above your head.
Keeping your neck neutral, lift your arms and legs concurrently.
Make sure you’re using your back and glutes to lift.
Pause briefly at the top and return to start.
Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.

Is Your Neck Sore Or Tense? Relieve Tension With This 15 Exercise Workout

Stretch:

Neck side bend and rotation

Shoulder roll

Overhead arm reach

Pec stretch

Chair rotation

Cat cow

Child’s Pose

Knee to chest

Thoracic extension

Butterfly

Strengthen:

Row

Face pull

Scapular squeeze

Wall angels

Reverse dumbbell fly

Lat pull-down

Superman