The neck carries a head of four to five kilos, and for every centimetre the head sits in front of the body the load increases. Hours at a screen and phone make the superficial muscles (trapezius, neck extensors) overworked and the deep neck flexors at the front of the neck weak, giving stiffness, aching, headaches and sometimes a swaying dizziness from the neck. What helps is not holding the neck still but moving it often in small movements, strengthening the deep muscles and training posture so the head is carried over the shoulders. Light cupping of the trapezius and the muscles between the shoulder blades before the exercises makes them easier to do correctly. Here are eight neck exercises, how often to do them, when not to train the neck yourself and how to combine with cupping.
Before you start: when the neck should not be trained at home
See a doctor instead if the neck problem came after a collision, a fall or a blow, if you have numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or hands, if you have dizziness together with visual disturbance, difficulty speaking, double vision or difficulty swallowing, if the neck is stiff together with fever and headache (emergency), or if the pain is very severe and new. With wry neck, heat and small movements apply on the first day, not exercises. The exercises should feel like stretch and effort, not sharp pain, dizziness or radiation into the arm; if you feel that, stop and let a physiotherapist assess it.
Eight neck exercises
- Chin tuck. Sit or stand upright, draw the chin straight back as if making a double chin, without bending the head, hold five seconds, relax. Ten repetitions. Activates the deep neck flexors and counteracts a forward head. The most important exercise.
- Chin tuck with lift, lying down. Lie on your back without a pillow. Tuck the chin and lift the head one centimetre from the floor, hold five seconds, lower. Five to ten repetitions. Build up to a 30-second hold. Strengthens the deep neck flexors, the best documented exercise for long-term neck pain.
- Rotation. Turn the head slowly to one side as far as it goes without pain, hold three seconds, back, other side. Ten per side. Ideally every hour at the screen.
- Side bend. Bring the ear towards the shoulder without lifting the shoulder, hold 15–20 seconds, switch. Place the hand lightly on the head for more stretch of the trapezius, never pull hard.
- Nodding. Bend the head down towards the chest, then slightly up (not far back), ten slow repetitions. Moves the neck joints through their whole range.
- Shoulder rolls and shoulder blade squeeze. Roll the shoulders back ten times, then draw the shoulder blades back and down, hold five seconds, ten times. The neck cannot rest if the shoulder blades hang forward.
- Isometric resistance. Place the hand against the forehead and press the head lightly against the hand without moving it, five seconds; then against the back of the head and against each side. Five repetitions per direction. Strengthens the neck without movement, good when it hurts.
- Upper back extension over a chair back. Sit with the hands behind the head, lean the upper back backwards over the edge of the chair back, exhale, five times. A stiff upper back forces the neck to compensate; see Upper back pain.
Neck exercises for dizziness from the neck
Dizziness that feels like unsteadiness or swaying, comes together with neck stiffness and is worse with neck movements, can come from the neck (cervicogenic dizziness). It should first be assessed by a doctor to exclude ear and brain causes; after that the same exercises as above help, especially chin tucks, slow rotations and following an object with the eyes while the head moves. Start very slowly, with support, and increase as the dizziness decreases. Sudden dizziness with visual disturbance, difficulty speaking, numbness or severe headache is an emergency.
How to structure it
The mobility exercises (3, 4, 5, 6) every hour at the screen for one minute; the strength exercises (1, 2, 7) daily, five minutes; the upper back (8) daily. Expect four to six weeks for a clear difference. What makes the biggest difference outside the exercises: the screen at eye level, the phone lifted to the face instead of the head bent to the phone, armrests, breaks and a pillow that keeps the neck in line. The whole routine for a stiff neck, with heat and cupping, is in Neck pain and stiff neck, and the shoulder exercises in Shoulder exercises.
Cupping before the neck exercises
Static cups on the trapezius for a few minutes, or light strokes with the mini cup from the base of the neck out towards the shoulders, get the overactive superficial muscles to let go, so the deep muscles can work in the exercises. You need static cups or the dynamic mini cup and body oil.
- Heat on the neck and shoulders for five minutes.
- Static: one cup with light suction on each side of the trapezius between neck and shoulder, two to three minutes, while you breathe calmly.
- Or dynamic: oil, light strokes from the base of the neck out towards the shoulder joint, five per side, and short strokes downwards from the hairline on the muscles either side of the neck vertebrae, never on the vertebrae.
- Go straight to the exercises, starting with chin tucks.
Never cup the front or sides of the neck, never directly on the vertebrae, not with a fever, not after an injury before it has been assessed, and not without medical advice if you are pregnant or take blood thinners. The basics are in Cupping at home.
Frequently asked questions
Which neck exercises are best for a stiff neck?
Chin tucks for the deep neck flexors, slow rotations and side bends for mobility, and shoulder blade squeezes for posture. Small, frequent movements every hour beat one long session a week.
How often should you do neck exercises?
Mobility every hour at the screen for one minute, strength daily for five minutes. Expect four to six weeks before the difference is clear, then continue as maintenance.
Can neck exercises help with dizziness?
With dizziness that comes from the neck, yes, after a doctor has excluded other causes. Chin tucks, slow rotations and gaze exercises are the basis. Sudden dizziness with visual disturbance, difficulty speaking or numbness is an emergency.
Does cupping help with a stiff neck?
As preparation and relaxation, yes: static cups on the trapezius get the tight superficial muscles to let go, so the exercises can train the deep ones. The exercises build the strength, the cup makes them easier.
Should I stretch the neck when it hurts?
Gently, within the pain limit, yes. Hard stretching of an acutely tense neck often causes a setback. With radiation into the arm, numbness or dizziness with other symptoms: see a doctor first.
Sources
- 1177 Vårdguiden (Swedish national health guide), search for "ont i nacken" and "yrsel" for medical information and when to seek care.
- Curam's FAQ and cupping programmes, developed together with trained massage therapists.
Related guides
Written by Curam. Last updated 17 October 2026. This is general self-care information and does not replace medical care. For sudden, severe or unusual symptoms, contact your doctor. Talk to your doctor before cupping if you are pregnant, take blood thinners or have a condition affecting skin, blood vessels or blood.
