The nodding dog is one exercise you really don’t want people to see you doing. It’s very silly looking but works really well for strenghtening your neck. If you get a sore neck either at the computer or while reading a book, do this exercise for about a minute every day.

• Nod your head up and down with small but fast movements (like a nodding dog in a car)
• Slowly turn your head all the way to the left, then all the way to the right while nodding
• Keep this up for less than a minute
• Do a few times a day if neccessary, maybe while you’re in the loo (but wait until you’re finished!)

Don’t forget everything in your body is connected. The position of your head and neck will effect the rest of your body. Therefore monitor height is very important. Most people have their monitors way too low causing your neck to be at a slight angle all day. The top of your screen (not top of monitor) should be level with your eyes, while you are sitting up straight. One sign that your monitor is set up properly is when people start commenting that “your monitor is at a weird height, that can’t be good for you!”. I am blessed and cursed with a biomechanical feedback system (I mean because I have severe RSI)… so if my monitor is at the wrong height, the pain in my neck will inform me very quickly.

Luckily, modern monitors have adjustable stands. But monitor stands and drawers aren’t that expensive. And old telephone books are free. You can see in my (dodgy cameraphone) photo that I use a drawer and the box that it came in.

A really good exercise for neck pain is the nodding dog.