The Neck Retraction with Extension exercise aims to make sure you have full neck mobility, specifically in moving your head backwards.
Retraction is an often forgotten movement of the neck and can initially be tough to perform. Improving your neck mobility in this direction may help alleviate any loss of range you are experiencing, and by adding in neck extension at the end of the movement ensures you are regaining full range to help with all daily activities.
In sitting or standing, start the movement from a good posture. Make sure you're not slouching, aim to be sitting or standing up tall, and have your head aligned with your shoulders, so without your chin poking forward. From this position you want to move your head backwards whilst keeping your face at 90 degrees to the floor, you don't want to be looking up or down when moving your head.
Two good prompts to help perform this movement well is to imagine that someone is showing you something on their phone really close to your face and you are trying to move backwards but with only moving your neck, or imagine you are trying to make a double chin. Once you are at the end of the retraction movement you want to roll your head backwards into extension. Using this cue will make sure you are keeping the neck in retraction when doing the movement, instead of just looking up.
A good way to check you are doing this correctly is to ask someone to view you from the side when you’re performing the movement, or simply film yourself using your phone and then watch it afterwards.
If you do this correctly you should feel a gentle pull on the back of your neck where the soft tissue is being stretched. Its a subtle movement, but one that is very important to ensure full neck range of movement.
It is a hard movement to perform but with a bit of practice you should get it.
Aim to complete the reps and sets as suggested in your rehab programme.
If you find this exercise helpful, there are a number of other neck mobility exercises available on our channel.
EXERCISES 🎦
🎥 Neck Exercise Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYqV4Ytk-sj1YezCiOvlnGbAO9SJYQMtO&si=Zyz4LX5J2RwYrHn1
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PROGRAMME BUILDER
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Check out our free "Exercise Programme Creator" tool, where you build your own exercise programme, setting reps and sets for each, with links to videos embedded into the programme. It's easy to download as a PDF and send on to clients.
👉 https://www.thephysiobot.com/build-a-programme/
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PATREON
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