SEPTEMBER 2019 56 SHAPE.COM
Rui Faria/TheLicensingProject.comSTRETCH IT OUT
Building flexibility is critical for
avoiding tightness and pain,
says Christine Cody, the manager
at Lymbr, a stretching studio in
New York City. She recommends
a stretch that will loosen flexor
and extensor muscles, which
circle your neck from the collar-
bone to the top of your spine.
“Sit in a chair and place your
hands on your thighs. Pull your
elbows out, away from your body.
Lean forward, lowering your
chest between your elbows. Then
lower your head toward the floor,
hold for a beat, and lift it back
up toward the ceiling.” Repeat
five times, three times a day.BUILD STRENGTH
Strong neck muscles can spring
back fast even after a day of
scrolling, says Dana McCaw,
the creative manager of group
fitness at Equinox. Build them
with moves like chest flyes,
which hit your shoulders, chest,
and neck: Lie on the ground,
knees bent, arms outstretched.
Holding a five-pound dumbbell,
lift your right hand directly over
your sternum, then lower it to
the side until your arm is not quite
resting on the floor. That’s one
rep. Do eight to 12 on each
side two to three times a week.PREVENT IT
The top of your computer, tab-
let, and phone screens should
be at eyebrow level, says Erik
Peper, Ph.D., a professor at San
Francisco State University. That
allows you to keep your neck in
a comfortable, neutral position.
This gets tricky with your phone,
but try to hold it at this height as
often as possible. When texting,
put your elbows on a tabletop
so the phone is closer to eye level.
Also, take many short breaks to
interrupt the tension patterns.bestrong+well | DE-STRESS
tech NECKOver seven hours. That’s how long we spend
using electronics each day, the latest research shows.
All that hunching over a screen quadruples the
normal pressure on our necks, leading to muscle
strain, headaches, and even a visible hump.
Not good. These expert-backed fixes will help
straighten you up. By Molly Longman