MoPro
TrainersEye · Neck & Upper Back Health
Neck & Upper Back B
Trainer's Eye
Phase 1 · Settle and move · Session B

Sit tall.
Breathe low.
Let the neck rest.

Seated range, the first rotation holds, and the breathing that unloads the neck thousands of times a day.

  • Bsession
  • P1Settle
  • 12:00on the clock
  • — donecompleted

Breathing and the neck

When breathing shifts to the upper chest, the neck muscles help every breath. Retraining the diaphragm unloads them thousands of times a day.

Stress lives in the shoulders

Psychological load raises resting activity in the upper trapezius. Training and recovery both matter.

Warm tissue moves further

A warm neck rotates further and tolerates more. That is what the first minutes of every session are for.

Three couplets · two rounds · twelve minutes · a neck that carries the day

A

Nod seated

Seated chin nods + rotation holds
A1

Seated chin nods

60 s · slow reps

Sitting tall against a chair back; nod gently and return, keeping the neck long.

Easier supine  ·  Harder hold three seconds

R1R2—
A2

Isometric rotation holds

5 × 10 s/side · ×2

Palm on the side of the forehead; try to turn the head into it without moving.

Easier gentler press  ·  Harder 15-s holds

R1R2
B

Bend

Side flexion + scapular setting
B1

Active side flexion

60 s · slow reps

Sitting tall; tip one ear toward the shoulder, stopping short of any pull, and return.

Easier smaller range  ·  Harder pause one second

R1R2—
B2

Scapular setting

12 × 5 s · ×2

Draw both shoulder blades gently down and back; hold five seconds and release.

Easier smaller squeeze  ·  Harder 10-s holds

R1R2
C

Release

Upper trapezius reaches + belly breathing
C1

Upper trapezius reaches

60 s · slow reps

Hand under the seat on one side; tip the head gently away and return — a reach, not a pull.

Easier smaller range  ·  Harder hold three seconds

R1R2—
C2

Diaphragmatic breathing

10 breaths · ×2

Hand on the belly; breathe so the belly rises and the shoulders stay completely still.

Easier lying down  ·  Harder 6-second exhale

R1R2

The clock

Round 1settle in — 70%, perfect tracking
0:00A1 → A2
2:00B1 → B2
4:00C1 → C2
Round 2own it — beat Round 1 by quality
6:00A1 → A2
8:00B1 → B2
10:00C1 → C2

Each couplet: 60 s scored → the loading set → 10 s to move on. Done at 12:00.

How to run it

  1. Pain rule: up to 4/10 during, back to your normal by the next morning, no worse week to week.
  2. Never force or twist the neck to make it click. Nothing in this programme goes to a hard end range.
  3. Dizziness, visual change, slurred speech or swallowing trouble with neck movement: stop and get seen the same day.
  4. Isometric holds first. Tension without movement is the calmest way to load an irritable neck.

Tick it off

MovementRound 1Round 2Best
A1Seated chin nodsslow reps in 60 s —
A2Isometric rotation holds5 × 10 s/side
B1Active side flexionslow reps in 60 s —
B2Scapular setting12 × 5 s
C1Upper trapezius reachesslow reps in 60 s —
C2Diaphragmatic breathing10 breaths
Session time
StreakDay —
Client / Patient
Coach / Clinician signature
Date
TE-12-NECK-B