Stop Neck Ache during your Ab Workout?
This is a common problem among gym goers who train their abs. That feeling that the neck starts to ache way before you are able to get any reaction from your abdominal muscles.
What is the cause?
As we spend the majority of our days upright - whether it is seated or standing – our neck creates the perfect support for our heads using as little muscle as possible. Quite literally the whole spine is supporting the head. However it is very rare for our bodies to be in a horizontal position without head support. Therefore the spine is no longer able to support the head and that is now left to our relatively weak neck muscles. These neck muscles tire very quickly as they are not trained to hold the head up in the sit up or crunch position.
So before you start to worry, the ache in the neck is usual and a lot of people suffer from it if they have just started their workout routine. It takes time for the neck muscles to strengthen so that the ache no longer stops you from doing your ab exercises.
How to stop the neck ache
There are a few ways but you don’t have to avoid the exercises that cause it, lets take the simple crunch as our example (read here first to understand the exercise). Now quite simply we have to focus on correct technique but also only completing as many repetitions as you can before the neck ache kicks in. It could be as little as 5 to start with but that is fine as over time your neck will get stronger and you will be able to perform more before the ache causes you discomfort. As soon as that ache starts, stop crunching and rest your head back down on the ground for about 30 seconds. Then perform the next set stopping again when the ache starts and so on until you have completed the desired amount in your program. You will find as time goes by that you will need to stop less and less.
What not to do
When the neck starts to ache the temptation is to go with the no pain no gain attitude and whilst partly true it is not in this case. If you feel any pain stop immediately, if it is an ache then you can continue but I would follow my advice in the previous paragraph. Do not put your hands behind your head to help support it. This is very common and under no circumstances should you ever hold your head. You see, whilst your head will be supported, as soon as your abs start getting tired the body’s natural reaction is to start cheating and it does this by pulling on your head through your hands and arms. The consequences of this can be immediate damage to your neck resulting in any number of neck and back issues. The same rule goes with the ab cradles, as soon as your abs get tired your arms will come in to help and the cradle will start pulling you up through your head again resulting in potential injury.
What to do now
Well, keep practicing the crunches as your neck will strengthen over time. You may find in the meantime that whilst your neck is getting a great workout your abs are not. The whole point of the crunch is, after all, to strengthen the stomach and so whilst you are waiting for your neck to strengthen you may feel that your abs are being forgotten. Fear not my friends as I have a few tricks up my sleeve that will allow you to train your stomach without your neck being used at all. I have listed them below with a link on how to perform them.
Ab exercises
Summary
Good luck with your stomach exercises and remember if you get actual pain in your neck it is always safer to check with your doctor that everything is okay, especially if the pain lasts after the exercise session. Remember I am talking about pain and not an ache. If you have any questions please send them on through by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.
