Does your neck hurt?

Many people complain of neck pain – you know, that tight achy stiffness in the back of the neck and upper shoulders. Upper neck agony is usually the end of some very common repetitive actions…such as working on computers, slouching due to poor posture when driving or just sitting. Now, to announce the MOST POPULAR CAUSE: “Text neck”…aka Anterior Head Syndrome, which is caused by a your head being dropped forward, and your shoulders are curved. It’s everywhere we go these days: chins are almost touching our chests while we are texting, reading e-mail, playing a game etc. Don't get me wrong, I love technology, but this is a global epidemic. All theses wireless devices are ruining our posture and literally a pain in our necks.

So what can you do?

Well, it’s important to find exercises that focus on improving your posture, and strengthening your neck.

Pilates helps with posture by strengthening a variety of muscles in the torso – from the deep to the superficial – so that every BODY can achieve the posture that is best for them. Pilates targets the deep muscles around the spine and the muscles of the upper back under the scapula to help each individual discover their own more upright posture. Additionally, Pilates also focuses on ideal posture and alignment of the hip joint and lower back so that a strong foundation for great posture can be achieved.

A strong core will be the foundation for all great posture. If the core is weak, then great posture is difficult to achieve. Next, the shoulder girdle stabilizers in the back play a VERY key role, particularly the lower trapezius and the middle trapezius muscles. These muscles are often neglected because they are not VANITY muscles, meaning muscles that you can see in the mirror! However, these are EXTREMELY important postural muscles, ones that play a significant role not only in great posture, but in keeping the neck tension free as well. Pilates exercises target all of these muscles!

Try it, your body and neck will thank you!