What to Do If Your Neck Hurts from Doing Crunches? Two Solutions
Persisting in doing crunches can exercise the muscles to form a waistcoat line, tighten the abdominal muscles, and allow people to easily have a flat abdomen. However, some people experience neck pain after doing crunches, which is mainly caused by improper action or excessive force.
What is the cause of neck pain when doing crunches?
When doing crunches, if the strength of the back and waist cannot lift the upper body, it will rely on the neck muscles to complete the action. Prolonged use will cause neck pain. When doing crunches, it is necessary to use hands to hold the head, which will unconsciously exert arm strength on the neck, increasing joint pressure. In addition, when lifting the upper body too much during this action, it will strain the neck muscles. When lying down, the neck is completely attached to the ground, and when rising, it will cause excessive stress on the neck, leading to strain.
What to do if you have neck pain from doing crunches?
1. Appropriate cold compress
If muscle strain is caused by excessive force, cold compress can be used to relieve pain. When exposed to cold stimulation, it reduces local blood circulation and exudation, preventing swelling. Wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply it to the neck for about 15 minutes within 24 hours. Pay attention to rest, and it usually takes about a week to recover to normal. 2, heat therapy
If the neck still hurts two days after doing crunches, it may be caused by excessive accumulation of lactic acid in the neck. Heat therapy can expand local blood vessels, improve blood circulation, and promote lactic acid metabolism, relieving muscle spasms. The method is to soak a towel in warm water, then squeeze out the water, and apply it to the painful muscle. 3. Rotate the neck and head
First, stand up straight, cross your arms on your waist, and rotate your head and neck left and right. This can relax your head and neck. When doing crunches, control the speed, don't rush or be too fast. In addition, before doing crunches, you should warm up for 5 minutes, otherwise you will lose the support of the spine, which will increase the pressure on the neck.
Warm tips
When the waist and back strength is insufficient, it cannot complete the action of crunches, in order to prevent the neck from exerting force, you should do more exercises that strengthen the waist and back muscles, such as planking. In peacetime, you should often practice abdominal breathing. The specific method is to loosen the waist belt in bed, relax the whole body, and focus your thoughts. Take a deep breath and let your belly bulge out, and persist for 15 seconds, then exhale. Repeat 4 times per minute.
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