Train Your Neck and Hold Your Head Up
Toned arms? Check. Lean legs? Got ‘em! Strong neck? Huh? Very few people think to train your neck, let alone performing strengthening exercises for the neck musculature. But if you consider how often your head moves, neck strengthening is a no-brainer.
Nautilus 4-Way Neck Machine
Think of your head and neck as a bowling ball sitting on a stack of checkers. When everything is in proper alignment, everything is OK. However, when the muscles are weakened, either through a trauma event or just poor posture, the bowling ball tips forward and places a strain on the neck muscles. The average head weighs 12 pounds, when the head is flexed forward 15 degrees, the weight of the head doubles! All of that extra strain on the muscles of the neck can cause weakness and pain in the head, neck and back and could possible interfere with the transfer of nerve impulses.
The very best thing you can do is practice good posture. Your shoulders should be down and back, your head should be upright and your ears should be over your shoulders. It will be uncomfortable at first, but you will get used to it.
The next best thing to do is to strengthen your neck muscles. Nautilus makes a fantastic machine called the 4-Way Neck. This machine addresses 4 of the 5 possible neck movements (it doesn’t address neck rotation). Adding this exercise to your routine once per week can safely and effectively strengthen the neck musculature and reduce/eliminate any neck pain you might be feeling!
Related article – “Why don’t woodpeckers get concussions?”
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About the author
Dwayne Wimmer founded Vertex Fitness Personal Training Studio in 2001, excited to bring a new concept about personal training to the people of Philadelphia’s Main Line in Pennsylvania. Driven by knowledge and results both, while a strength coach at Villanova University, he worked closely with world class athletes such as Brian Westbrook, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, on strength training and conditioning for optimal performance. Dwayne’s client base extends much further than world class athletes. Along with athletes, he works with adolescents to seniors, and he’s a highly acclaimed and sought out personal trainer who has received numerous awards, such as Best of the Main Line Personal Training Studio and Best Main Line Personal Trainer. A graduate of Missouri Western State University, Dwayne has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, with an emphasis in Coaching. Aside from personal training, he’s spent time as a physical education teacher, strength and conditioning coach, and a football coach, but has found his passion and home in the fitness industry, inspiring and reaching out to others. As a strong believer in continuing to learn, Dwayne has also taken classes at East Stroudsburg University toward a Masters Degree in Sports Management. He can add author to his list of accomplishments, having created a chapter in the upcoming book The Soul of Success with Jack Canfield, renowned for the Chicken Soup series. To get to the point where he is now, Dwayne has always been thankful for the support of his father, a man who always believed in his mission and saw the need for what it was that Dwayne envisioned. During his free time, Dwayne is an avid motorcyclist who enjoys viewing the amazing landscapes and finding good restaurants to enjoy that are off the beaten path. He also takes advantage of opportunities to travel and experience many other cities while attending fitness seminars and giving presentations about the industry he is so passionate about. As a way to give back to the community that has been a part of his entire life, Dwayne has created Vertex Fitness PUMPED (People United Making Progress through Education and Donations), which provides support to area non-profits through a community-wide outreach effort. At this time, they help three non-profits per year in the Philadelphia area. For more information from Dwayne, you may contact him at (610) 525-6604, dwayne@vertexfit.com