Let’s talk about your cervical spine, the crucial collection of bones and joints that help you do everything from nodding “yes” to dodging a low-hanging branch when you’re walking down the sidewalk (vital life skill to have). If you’ve ever caught yourself craning your neck after a long day at the desk or trying to look over your shoulder to check your blind spot while driving, you’re already familiar with the importance of avoiding neck stiffness and keeping the cervical spine mobile.
Did you know that keeping this area flexible may improve everything from your posture to your mood to acquiring the ability to turn your head like you’re in a cheesy rom-com? Let’s dive into why you need to move it and how you can start making your neck function properly.
Why Mobilize Your Cervical Spine?
Think of the cervical spine as the highway of your brain’s communication system. The cervical spine is the bridge between your head and the rest of your body. If this highway gets jammed up and out of alignment, you may experience more than just stiff necks and limited range of motion. You may develop headaches from tension, poor posture, and even waking up feeling like you “woke up on the wrong side of the bed” every morning.
Improving cervical spine mobility helps:
1. Reduce Neck Stiffness
That creaking and cracking feeling? It’s your muscles telling you they need more movement.
2. Improve Posture
We all know the “forward head posture” struggle, especially after hours of hunching over computer screens (like I’m doing, right now!)
3. Alleviate Headaches
Tension in the neck may lead to tension headaches. Free your neck, free your head!
4. Boost Spinal Health
A healthy neck promotes a healthy spine…it’s all connected!
5. Enhance Athletic Performance
Whether it’s a golf swing or a volleyball serve, good cervical mobility improves overall body mechanics.
Neck Exercises That’ll Make Your Spine Want to Dance!
So now that we know why mobilizing our cervical spine is so important, let’s look at some exercises that will leave you feeling like you’ve just attended a neck yoga retreat. They’re easy, effective, and will keep you moving like a pro.
Upper Trapezius Stretch
How to do it:
1. Sit or stand tall with your shoulders relaxed. Head looking straight forward.
2. Slowly tilt your right ear towards the right shoulder. Hold for 3-5 seconds.
3. Slowly return your head to the starting position.
4. Repeat on left side.
Why It Works: The movement stretches the upper trapezius and other muscles on the side of your neck, promoting flexibility and relaxation.
Bonus Tip: Rest a gentle hand on your head to increase the stretch (don’t yank or pull on the head). 
Chin Tucks (Don’t Look Down!)
How to do it:
1. Sit up straight with your shoulders back.
2. Pretend your chin is sitting on a pane of glass, your chin only slides forward and backward on the pane.
3. Tuck your chin backwards slightly along the imaginary glass as though you’re trying to give yourself a double chin.
4. Hold for 5 seconds and return to a neutral head posture. AVOID jutting your chin forward as your return to the start.
Why it Works: This type of chin tuck helps the muscles in the front of the neck, improve your posture, and reduce the forward-head slouch.
Bonus Tip: Do this throughout the day, especially while you are sitting at your desk. Your neck will thank you.
Cervical Rotations (Yes, your head can turn that far)
How to do it:
1. Stand or sit tall with your spine neutral (straight).
2. Slowly turn your head to the right as far as you comfortably can, aim to look over your shoulder. If you feel pain, do not push through it.
3. Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat on the right side.
Why It Works: The exercise improves rotational mobility in the neck and helps you see all the things you may have been missing out on, like the yoga mat hiding under your bed.
Cat-Cow: Neck Edition
How to do it:
1. Get on your hands and knees aka tabletop position.
2. As you inhale, gently drop your belly towards the floor, arch your back, tilt your pelvis towards the ceiling, and lift your head to look up. (This is the Cow position).
3. As you exhale, round/push your back upwards towards the ceiling, tuck your pelvis downward, tuck your chin in down towards your chest, and bring your head towards your knees. (This is the Cat position).
4. Repeat slowly for 10 rounds.
Why it works: The Cat-Cow is a full-sine mobilizer (yes, including the cervical spine!). It’ll help release stiffness while promoting fluid movement throughout your neck, shoulders, pelvis, and back.
Bonus Tip: If you have kids at home, make this a fun activity by making cat and cow sounds as you do the exercise. We don’t judge if make animal noises by yourself too.
Disclaimer: Although you may feel your cervical spine adjust (“crack”) on its own during these mobility movements, we DO NOT recommend anyone trying to forcefully self-adjust (“crack”) their own neck. Complications may occur if you try to forcefully adjust your own neck. Chiropractors have extensive training on how to properly evaluate neck conditions and safely adjust cervical spines. Let us handle keeping your cervical spine well aligned.
Final Thoughts: Keep it Moving!
Cervical mobility exercises aren’t just for people who suffer with neck stiffness and pain, they’re for anyone who wants to keep their neck in top shape. Whether you’re looking to avoid the dreaded tech neck or just feel a little more “in tune” with your body, these exercises are a simple way to show your neck some love.
We just want to add that these exercises are not tailored to a specific diagnosis or cervical spine condition. It’s important to make sure your situation is properly evaluated by your healthcare provider. Each individual is different and may require a more individualized plan.
