Midafternoon Lull? Stretch Your Neck

This entry was written on Jul 27, 2009 by our Running Guru Heidi Splete

I had a long day covering a meeting in DC today, and during a slow late-afternoon talk I started thinking about how stiff my neck and shoulders were feeling.

Neck stretch to the rescue! When you're sitting at your desk (or in the car) fighting midafternoon lull, try this simple neck strech, courtesy of one of my favorite books, Stretching by Bob Anderson:

-Sit up straight, and pull your shoulders away from your ears.

-Keeping your head in the same plane as your shoulders, turn your chin toward your right shoulder, but keep your chin parallel to the floor.

-Hold for a count of five.

-Bring your head back to center and repeat on the other side. Alternate 2-3 times whenever your neck feels stiff. I'm always surprised how this wakes me up a bit. It can be part of your pre and/or post-run stretching routine, too.

Happy Running!