Neck & Shoulder Exercises

Stand up straight, with your feet pointing forward. Place your hands at your sides. Place your right hand on your head, directly above your left ear. Using this hand for support, gently tilt your head to the right side until your neck is bent at a 45-degree angle. Hold for three seconds. Return to center. Do the same exercise for the left side. Repeat seven more times for each side. Once you get comfortable with the exercise, you can keep your arms at your sides instead of using them to assist you.

Stand up straight, as you did for the neck tilt. Nod your head until your chin touches your chest. Raise your head back to the starting position. Repeat 15 times. Make sure you don't bounce your head. Raise and lower slowly.

Stand up straight, with your arms at your sides and feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly. Raise your left arm up to shoulder height, extending it out straight in front of you. Grasp your left arm from underneath with your right hand, placing this hand directly behind your left elbow. Pull your right arm back toward your chest while still grasping your left arm. This will allow you to pull your left arm across your body so your left elbow is in front of your right shoulder. Stop when you feel a stretch in your left shoulder. Hold for five seconds. Return to the original position. Do eight reps for each side.

Stand up straight like you did for the cross-body stretch, holding one dumbbell in each hand. Raise your arms until they are extended straight upward as if you were trying to touch the ceiling. Turn your arms so your palms are facing forward. Slowly bend your elbows until they are both at 45-degree angles and your weights are at shoulder height. Push your arms back up toward the ceiling, stopping when they are again straight. Repeat 11 more times. Do two more sets of 12.