It might sound dramatic, but what you’ll learn in today’s post would’ve saved my hairstyling career twenty years ago.
Doing hair requires holding the arms up—a LOT!
Add to it unconsciously lifting your shoulders with your arms for hours on end while holding a professional-grade blow dryer, brush or scissors, and you get the perfect recipe for chronic neck tension. All of this, for me, became debilitating neck and shoulder pain and muscle spasms.
But you don't have to be a hairstylist to reap the benefits of the technique I’ll show you today.
If you:
- Work at a computer
- Lift things like groceries, children, or weights
- Lift your arms overhead at all
You’ll benefit from today’s post.
When you get the hang of using your arms the way I’ll show you, it will not only help alleviate neck tension but also tone your arms!
As always, after you check out the video, I’d love to know how it goes. Let me know in the comments section below.
With arms up and shoulders down,
Sydney
PS – If you like what you learn in this video and are curious to know more, check out the sample live class from the PTO Membership over on the Pilates Tonic Online Membership page. It’s near the bottom of the page.
PPS – I’ve packed the PTO Membership full of simple techniques to help you move more often and more intentionally throughout your day. With this program, it is totally, totally possible to regain, improve and maintain mobility, freedom, and ease in your body.
Registration for the Pilates Tonic Online Membership has been extended and will now close this Friday at midnight EDT. If you think you’d benefit from this program, now is the perfect time to give it a try.
You’ll also secure the current price for as long as you remain a member! Meaning, even when the price goes up in the future, you’ll keep the same rate it is right now.
4 Responses
I found that my shoulders were more flexible. They felt more open and loose. My neck felt looser also.
I used a 10 ounce unopened jar of jam.
That’s fantastic, Tara! Thank you for sharing!
This might sound silly but when do we use our traps? I seem to be lifting my shoulders for everything!
When we lift something up should we be feeling the muscles in the shoulder blades and back activating?
Such a smart question, Wendy! It’s not that you don’t want the trapezius to work at all, because at a certain point it has to; it’s more you don’t want the upper trapezius leading the effort of working the arms. For example, if when you lift your arm, you always lift your shoulder; first, other muscles (serratus anterior and lower trapezius in particular) don’t get a chance to do their part. So yes, ideally, you’ll feel muscles under your arm and midback helping when you lift something. Hope this helps. Thanks for your questions!