Neck Pain
If you sit at a desk all day, or if you are bending down looking at small children all day, or if you have a cranky, stiff neck, this is for you. Take a handful of your hair from the lower back part of your head. (Sorry, my beautiful, bald ones, you need at least some hair to do this, although if you have a good imagination, you can still probably do it. Below I’ll list another stretch you don’t need hair for.)
Pull your hair slightly back and up when you have a handful of hair. As you do this, you should feel a nice stretch through your neck's vertebrae (spinal bones). The ideal neck posture is a straight spine all the way up to the top. A J-shaped spine is an idea, not the S-shaped one we were taught years ago.
Do this exercise a few times throughout the day to remind yourself of proper neck posture.
Another quick neck traction exercises you can do with a broom. Lay down on the ground and place the broomstick perpendicular to your body and under your neck. Place your hands on either side of the stick – either side of your neck and pull the stick toward the top of your head. When it reaches the occipital region, where your skull meets your neck bones, you should feel a good stretch through your neck. Hold it for a few seconds and repeat.
