Neck Aches and Ab Exercises

Sometimes when we do exercises for our core, our neck aches. Why is this?

Your head weighs over 15 pounds! This is a lot for your neck to support, particularly if you are in a reclining position. Here are a couple of tips to help your neck ache less:

1. Align before you execute. do a head nod before any pilates exercise that requires you do flex your body forward. Drop the chin, lengthening through the back of your neck. Do not jam the the chin, but do put your neck in natural line with your upper spine.

2. Look at your knees. There is nothing to read on the ceiling, so don't look at it!

3. "Hen pecking." If you are looking up when yo do crunches, you tend to reach with the neck and take the body up instead of forward. Concentrate on crunching your abs together, not pulling or relying on the neck at all.

4. Set your head down whenever you need to during an exercise, then flex forward through the abs again. You could also place on hand behind the head for support. You should not interlace your hands behind your head; cradle the sides of your skull instead.