Pain in the Neck? Why Your Neck Hurts When You Curl Up (and How to Fix It)

If your neck aches every time you do a curl up, you're not alone. It's one of the most common problems I see, with curl ups and sit ups alike.

Usually it comes down to one thing: we think higher is better. So we rush to lift as far off the floor as we can, and end up pulling on the back of the neck instead of letting our abdominals do the work.

Here are five tips to help you

perfect your curl up, protect your neck and properly target your upper abdominals.

1. Start with your exhale

A lot of clients rush straight into the curl up and lift off the floor as quickly as they can. Instead, take your time and focus on your breath. This prep is key.

Inhale wide into the back of your ribcage, then take a long exhale, longer than you think you need, until you feel your breastbone soften. That softening is your cue: it should feel as though your body wants to curl up. If you don't feel it straight away, give it a little practice before you move on.

2. Break at the breastbone

Once you feel that urge to curl, lift from the breastbone. This anchors the back of your ribcage to the floor and makes the curl up much easier.

3. Think length, not lift

Imagine lengthening the back of your head towards the ceiling. Let your chin drop towards your chest, and think about almost lifting the back of your skull away from your neck.

4. Watch where you're looking

Keep your eyes on the prize: your abdominals or your mid-thighs. Looking up at the ceiling tips your head back and overarches your neck, which is exactly what we're trying to avoid.

5. Release the tilt

Keep a little weight on your tailbone so your pelvis stays in neutral, with your hip bones and pubic bone level. This lets your abdominals work much more effectively

I hope that you've found this useful, check out our short video here to help further and drop us a comment below to let us know what you thought.