Preparation For Training: How to Beat Neck Pain
Posted on: 12 July 2016
Muscular pain from weight training can be effectively prevented if proper precaution is taken when warming up. Many people suffer from back and neck pain because of poor form and inadequate mobilisation. Following this simple guide will help you to effectively warm the muscles of the body to increase their elasticity and help you to minimise muscle strains during each set.
Mobilise The Muscle
Mobilisation exercises allow us to limber up the spine so any sudden movements, like suddenly reacting to a heavy weight, are less likely to strain them. First, hold your elbows and arms up at a 90 degree angle, in line with your shoulders. Keeping the hips facing forward, gently twist in a controlled motion left and right, allowing your head to move with your body.
Secondly, stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart and again, in a controlled movement, slide your hands down the outside of your legs one at a time until you touch the joint at your knee. This is called lateral flexion and along with the torso twist helps to warm up the muscles supporting the spine, neck and head.
Finally, roll the shoulders gently forward and backwards, increasing the range of motion with each cycle to warm up the shoulder girdle. Each of these exercises should be done for eight to ten repetitions and will only take a minute or so.
Raise The Pulse
Once you have completed your mobilisation move quickly onto a cardio machine. The type of machine you use will largely depend on whether you are doing an upper body or lower body weight session. The indoor bike and indoor stepper are great for legs because they warm up the right muscles. The rower is also great for legs but is particularly effective for warming up the core and the back. Finally, the cross-trainer is a happy medium that is actually a good choice when gently cooling down. When you have chosen your machine, start on a low setting. Over the period of about 3-4 minutes, increase the difficulty until your breathing is such that you can string a sentence together but no more.
Replicate
The last stage is a replication of the exercises you will perform. Try using light weights or your own body weight and mimic the exercises you will do in your session. Perform each exercise for 8-10 reps so that you can really start to feel the exact muscles warming up, but you aren't wearing yourself out. By following each of these three stages, you will be adequately warm, flexible and, with the additional oxygen being pumped around your muscles, stronger.
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