Why Are Neck and Back Strength So Important?

First Posted: Mar 16, 2020 03:33 PM EDT
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Why Are Neck and Back Strength So Important?

(Photo : Why Are Neck and Back Strength So Important?)

If you've ever been injured and suffered from neck or back pain, you might have an idea of why strengthening these areas is so important. When you have neck or back injuries, you see how it can affect your quality of life and everyday functionality. 

When you're injured, it can take time as well as physical therapy to regain functionality and strength, but even if you aren't injured, making sure these parts of your body are strong is important. 

The following is a guide to the importance of neck and back strength, and things you can do to boost your own. 

Why We Neglect Our Back

Even if we work out regularly and include strength training in that, we might be neglecting our back. Our backs aren't a part of our body we give much thought to because we can't see our backs.

It sounds simple, but we have much more self-awareness about the front of our body than we do the back our body.

It's not just that we can see the front of our body more-we also use it more in our daily movements. For example, when we're moving forward, flexing at our hips, lifting our knees, and many of the other things we're likely to do on a regular basis. 

When we strength train, we may focus on our front simply because it's what we're looking at most when we're looking in the mirror. 

The Importance of the Back

The back is one of the most neglected but also most important parts of our body.

Our back muscles are what power the rest of our bodies, and they play a role in all essential functions. 

Your back muscles create a connection between your butt, chest, shoulders, neck, and hips. 

Every muscle in your body is directly linked to what's called its counterpart. As examples, your biceps correlate with your triceps, your chest with your upper back and your abdominal area with your lower back. 

Everyone covets having chiseled and defined abs, so in order to get this, you need to also work out your lower back since it correlates with your abs. 

If you don't have a strong lower back, it will be nearly impossible to perform ab exercises like planks and sit-ups properly. Your back provides the power your body needs to do your ab exercises, and the same for chest muscles. 

The deepest layers of your ab muscles, called the transverse abdominis, actually wraps around your waist, connecting to your spine.

Aesthetically, when you work out your back, it can help create the appearance of a more hourglass figure with a slimmer waistline. 

From behind, if you regularly work out your back, you're more likely to have the V-shape. 

If you have strong upper back muscles, then it helps hold your shoulders where they're supposed to be so that you can have good posture and full range of shoulder motion. 

Strengthening your upper back can also reduce some of the load on the muscles of your neck, which makes all your daily activities more comfortable. 

The Importance of Neck Strength

Another neglected area when it comes to strength training is the neck. 

Sports injuries such as concussions are more likely to happen when you have limited neck strength. 

Most people also just deal with day-to-day neck pain, which is often because of the overuse of ligaments and muscles. This is especially true since most of us work in an environment where we're almost always on a computer. 

Research shows that if you deal with neck pain and especially work-related neck pain if you do neck-strengthening exercises you may be able to alleviate the pain. 

In one Danish study that showed neck strength training significantly reduced work-related pain, some of the exercises done by participants included:

  • Dumbbell shrug: During a dumbbell shrug, you stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart, and you slightly bend your knees. Holding a weight in each hand, hang your arms by your sides, with your palms facing in. Shrug your shoulders upward, and when doing so, contract your upper trapezius muscle. Hold it for a count, lower, and repeat. 

  • One-arm row: During a one-arm row, you would put one knee flat on a bench, and your other foot flat on the floor. Hold a weight in your right hand, hinge your hips, and bend your torso forward. Put your left hand on the bench for support, and pull up the weight in your right hand until your upper arm is parallel with your back.  Pause, and then lower the weight. Repeat eight to 12 times. 

  • Upright row: Stand with your feet shoulders width apart, and hold the weights down in front of your thighs. Have your palms facing your body. Bring the weights slowly straight up, in the same motion, you would use if you were zipping a jacket.  Slowly lower the weights back down to their original position, and repeat eight to twelve times per set. 

  • Reverse fly: To complete a reverse fly, you will need a bench that's set up a 45-degree angle. Hold weights in each hand, and let your arms go down toward the floor. Bend your elbows slightly, lift the weights up and out to the side until they reach shoulder level. Slowly lower the weights and repeat anywhere from 8 to 12 times per set. 

  • Lateral raise: To complete a lateral raise, stand straight and place your feet at shoulder width's distance from one another. Lift your arms up and to the sides until they're parallel to the floor, with a slight bend in your elbow. Slowly lower and repeat eight to 12 times per set. 

All of the above exercises are good for not only strengthening your neck but also your back. 

Before you do any neck or back strengthening exercises, it's a good idea to start with 5 to 10 minutes of moderate cardio to wake up your muscles and good your blood flowing. Then you should stretch out a bit as well. 

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