Weekend Challenge: The Neck Vertebrae Aligner

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Exercise

Evidence-Based
5 min Read
weekend challenge

This weekendโ€™s challenge is called the Neck Vertebrae Aligner, an exercise to maintain and even recover the curve of your cervical (neck) vertebrae.

The cervical curve is crucial to preventing and reversing Forward Head Posture (FHP) and kyphosis (Dowagerโ€™s Hump). Yet itโ€™s easy to overlook it, since thereโ€™s so much focus on preventing abnormal spinal curvature and flattening the back.

Besides giving you a youthful appearance, maintaining the cervical curve also helps to achieve correct breathing plus it prevents neck injuries and potential neck aches caused by misaligned cervical vertebrae.

The Neck Vertebrae Aligner does all of the above, in one easy move.

When I tried this exercise, it felt a bit awkward at first, but then I could actually feel it aligning the vertebrae in my neck. It really feels good, and I make sure to do it almost every day, especially after long hours of working on my computer.

Now letโ€™s take a look at why this simple exercise is so effective.

Why:

Your neck is flexible, which makes for maximum shock absorption, support, and range of motion. When muscles become tense and tight, however, it makes the neck rigid and more prone to injury.

A slight cervical lordosis โ€“ or curvature โ€“ is desirable in the neck because it contributes to proper weight distribution of the head, vertebral alignment, and correct posture.

cervical curve

Cervical lordosis can be compromised by kyphosis and FHP, both of which put pressure in the wrong areas of the vertebrae and cause muscles to contract and strain. When your head is poked forward, it requires much more muscle strength to hold the head up.

This starts a vicious cycle โ€“ FHP and kyphosis both undermine the healthy curvature of the neck vertebrae, and the less curve you have, the worse your FHP becomes. Itโ€™s been scientifically recognized for some time that the muscles stay in a tightened state, causing pain and decreased circulation.1 If blood cannot flow freely through the neck muscles, then the bones and muscles in the neck will be starved of key bone-building nutrients.

Thereโ€™s another problem associated with FHP and loss of cervical curve: compromised breathing. Being able to draw a deep, alkalizing breath requires proper alignment and โ€œopeningโ€ of the ribcage and chest cavity, and thatโ€™s impossible if you are hunched over or your head is poked forward.

The Neck Vertebrae Aligner restores the healthy curve in your neck, preserving a youthful stance and preventing detrimental wear and tear on cervical vertebrae.

How:

You will need a roll of paper towels to do this exercise. (Stay with me โ€“ it makes sense once you see how it works!)

neck vertebrae aligner

  1. Begin by facing a wall and standing close to it (about 6 to 8 inches away).
  2. Tilt you head back and place and hold with both hands the roll of paper towels on the bridge of your nose so it covers your eyes.
  3. Lean forward against the wall so the paper towel, your chest and chin are touching the wall.
  4. Drop your arms to the sides and make sure you chin is still touching the wall.
  5. Now slowly nod your head just enough for your chin to come away from the wall and back.
  6. Hold for 10 seconds (or as long as you comfortably can).
  7. Repeat 3 or 4 times. You can practice this exercise daily, multiple times.

Achieving Excellent Bone Health Involves More Than Preventing Fractures And Building Bone

Achieving correct posture is also very important in preventing and reversing osteoporosis. Itโ€™s just as essential as proper nutrition, because good posture means your spine is aligned โ€“ and if your spine is aligned, then your body will function properly and youโ€™ll be able to build bone more efficiently.

This is crucial, because putting pressure on bone stimulates bone growth at the site of pressure (as per Wolffโ€™s Law). Misaligned bones (and especially vertebrae) put pressure in all the wrong places, giving rise to bone spurs and other painful conditions.

The Denserciseโ„ข Epidensity Training System covers all aspects of bone-building beyond just bone density โ€“ hence the prefix โ€œepi,โ€ meaning โ€œbeyond.โ€ When you practice the moves in Denserciseโ„ข three times a week for only 15 minutes, youโ€™re correcting posture, increasing bone density, toning your muscles, and getting all the additional benefits of regular exercise.

And when you get Denserciseโ„ข, youโ€™ll also receive the Denserciseโ„ข Eating Guide, packed with healthy eating tips to give your bones the vitamins and nutrients they need to support maximum growth. Youโ€™ll discover the best foods to eat before and after you Densercise to get the results you want.

So if you havenโ€™t checked it out yet, please click here to learn more about this complete bone-rejuvenating exercise system.

Enjoy the weekend!

vivian sig

References

1 Sjogaard, Gisela, Savardm Gabrielle, and JUel, Carsten. โ€œMuscle blood flow during isometric activity and its relation to muscle fatigue.โ€ European Journal of Applies Physiology and Occupational Physiology. 1988. Volume 57, Issue 3, pp 327-335.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00635992