Neck rolls

Stretching may seem like something only athletic persons do to limber up their muscles before jumping into competition, but it is extremely important for all of us to do no matter how active or inactive you tend to be.

Stretching improves flexibility. Flexibility improves your daily performance by expanding the ability of what you can do (bending over to pick up objects, lifting, reaching, etc.) and improving your coordination. Coordination is important in all aspects of life, but as gamer’s we know the importance of being able to react quickly and skillfully as we play.

Stretching can also improve your circulation, increasing blood flow to muscles. In turn this brings in nourishment and expels the waste of byproducts in the muscle tissue. It can also help shorten recovery time if you have muscle injuries.

These stretches can relieve neck and shoulder pain, which can also help relieve any tension headaches you may be experiencing.

• Drop your head to one side.
• Roll it around in a wide circle; switch directions.
• Slowly find the tight spots. Hold and breathe, letting your breath release the tightness.
• Extra stretch: Place a hand on your head and gently pull to the side.

A basic static stretch – holding the pose for an extended period – should last about 30 seconds. Anything less than 20 seconds won’t make a significant difference in lengthening muscle fibers and tissue; hold too long and you risk injury.

On a personal note, I’ve begun doing yoga at home for about 30 minutes a day. I am by no means a professional, but I am already feeling better; especially in my back where I’ve been having a lot of pain lately.