One of the things that can most influence the proper development of training is contractures. One of the most common are those that develop in the upper part of the back, specifically in the cervical area. Our rhythm of life, the behaviors we have daily and often the misuse of our body make this pain appear. Therefore in this post we want to give some advice to avoid this pain that in many cases prevents us from making our life and sports activity in a normal way.

Surely on more than one occasion you have thought that exercise is the cause of your neck pain. It is true that sometimes not doing it in the right way may be the cause, but above all what affects us most are the bad postures and customs that we usually have and that do not help us when it comes to getting better cervical health. Therefore, it is necessary to bear in mind a series of tips to prevent cervical contractures.

The importance of muscular work to gain strength in the area

It is true that the muscular work of the back will help us to get stronger muscles and in this way a better support of the spine. This is an important aid in preventing the onset of pain in this part of the body. The same happens with the cervical, but it is important to know how to work the part properly, because a bad training can increase the pain and the appearance of contractures in this part.

Train all body parts with the same intensity

In the first place it is necessary to bear in mind that the front part of the body, that is, the pectoral, biceps or abdominal muscles, are antagonistic to the rear, which would be the entire back wall in its entirety. This means that we must work in the same way and with the same intensity the front and back to avoid imbalances. One of the main reasons why cervical contractures appear is that the front part has more tension than the back, which causes a significant imbalance to be established in both parts, which usually ends in an excessive tension in the cervical part and in a contracture in this area.

Beware of computers

In addition there are a series of bad habits that directly affect the cervical. The vast majority of people who suffer from this part we usually work a lot of time sitting in front of a computer . In these cases it is necessary to control the position in front of the computer. Getting a chair that has a comfortable back that covers the entire back is essential to keep the area rested. Along with this it is necessary that the computer screen is at eye level to keep the head straight, facing forward and avoid bending the neck down so as not to load the cervical part.

Avoid bending the neck too much

If we talk about bending the neck , it is important that we avoid looking at the keyboard when we write on the computer, since lowering the head towards the keyboard will make us load the cervical area with tension. For this reason it is necessary that we keep our eyes on the front to lighten the tension in this part. The same happens with the placement of the arms when writing. We must keep them relaxed and never advanced, because we will reload tension in the cervical part. For this it is good that the keyboard is closest to us and the elbows resting on the chair so that in this way we maintain a relaxed posture.

Some tips to relieve tension in the area

Apart from all these small tips it is necessary that we are able to relieve the cervical part and improve posture. The neck stretches will be very useful in these cases and we can perform them daily. One that we recommend to avoid tension in the cervical part will simply lie on the back facing the ceiling. In this position we will keep relaxed and the only thing we will do is open our arms extended in a cross. In this way we will be quiet for about 10 minutes. What we will achieve with this is to stretch the entire front part and correct the posture, relieving much of the tension accumulated in the cervical part. It is highly recommended to do it daily, as we will encourage the production of collagen in the joints of this part of the body to improve its condition.

In addition to this, always maintain good postures , execute properly the different exercises and be conscious at every moment of the position of the back and avoid forcing this area and load it with tension. A very good activity that we can perform is yoga, which will help us to stretch the area and relieve tension and thus avoid hurting us.