Why neck pain could be from your workout

Why neck pain could be from your workout

A regular routine of physical activity is an important necessity in our lives.  It helps us feel great, stay healthy, physically fit, and can give us a stiff neck. What – a stiff neck?  Yes, maybe that painful, stiff neck you’ve had for the past few days may be from a wrong execution of swinging a golf club or sitting hunched over on a bicycle. Whatever the cause, many of us who work out may not realize our sore necks could be from our choice of physical activity.

Why working out may cause neck pain

One of the biggest contributors to neck pain is poor posture while doing an activity. If we keep our chin forward to where it sticks out and our shoulders slouched instead of pulling the chin down for a neutral posture, this creates tension in the neck and surrounding muscles. One muscle in particular that takes a lot of abuse and brunt of that stress is the trapezius muscle.  This diamond-shaped muscle starts at the base of the skull, widens at the shoulders, and extends halfway down the back, can develop a dull, achy pain from the muscles getting too tight and irritated.  Make sure that whenever working out, always be mindful of your form and posture.

In addition, neck pain can also be the result of overuse of muscles in the neck and shoulder, strain on the joints in the neck, or a pinched nerve in the neck or shoulder area.

How to avoid neck pain when working out

There are several activities that can contribute to a sore neck.  To be able to still want to and to enjoy working out without the result of developing a stiff, painful neck, here are some physical activities that can lead to neck pain and how to prevent that from happening:

·      Swimming – The crawl is one swim move that may prove to lead to a stiff neck. If you find yourself always turning your head to the same side to breathe will build muscles on just one side of the neck, while shortening the muscles on the other side.  The breaststroke is another swim move that may strain neck muscles.

How to prevent this: Be sure to alternate swimming strokes when doing the crawl or breaststroke; when doing the crawl, alternate the breathing side occasionally.

·      Golf – If you extend your neck while you swing this can cause tension in the neck. Another cause of neck strain is carrying a golf bag on the same side all the time which can lead to uneven muscles and pain. 

How to prevent this: When looking down at the ball, bring your chin toward your neck so it is not extended.  When carrying a golf bag, alternate shoulders to prevent an uneven strain on just one side.

·      Yoga – Even though very relaxing, looking up when doing a “downward dog” can lead to extending the neck too far putting extra strain and stress on neck joints.

How to prevent this: Keep your chin toward your neck for a neutral position and limit how far you turn your head.

·      Cycling – When you lean over to reach for the handlebars of a road or mountain bike, this can cause you to round your back and hunch your shoulders up to your ears.

How to prevent this:  Be conscious of how you are sitting on the bike.  Bring your shoulder blades down and back as you lean forward.  Accomplish this by bringing your shoulders away from your ears, slightly arch your back, and stick out your chest. 

·      Gardening – When toiling in your garden, all that crouching down, reaching far across plants and lifting heavy objects can stretch your neck in ways that puts a strain on the neck muscles.

How to prevent this:  Pull your chin back as you look down. Take frequent breaks where you stand up and stretch and avoid stretching very far when pulling weeds.  When lifting heavy objects, be sure to use the proper form of using your leg muscles.