YouTube’s most popular yoga master says you should do ‘neck hygiene’ exercises every day

You hold a lot of tension in your neck whether you realize it or not. And it can cause a higher risk of issues like neck pain and headaches. To ward off any discomfort, Adriene Mishler, the yoga master behind the mega-popular YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene, says you should do soothing “neck hygiene” exercises every day. And it’s especially important if you spend a lot of your time staring down at a computer.

Mishler says neck hygiene includes exercises that target areas prone to stress through everyday activity.  The therapeutic sequence of neck stretches only takes 10 minutes. The flow doesn’t just help with in-the-moment discomfort, either—it’s a preventative measure meant to keep your neck pain-free down the line, too.

“This short session focuses on yoga for the neck, shoulders and upper back,” she says. “This the perfect moment to check in and care for yourself! We focus on targeted areas that get stressed through everyday activity to combat neck tension, shoulder pain, upper back pain, and poor posture. This therapeutic sequence will combat stress, reduce inflammation, relieve discomfort and increase range of motion.”

YouTube comments note that daily neck hygiene exercises have been helpful, especially for those who didn’t realize they were dealing with so much tension. “This is going to sound so silly, but I started crying in the middle of the video and had to pause,” writes one viewer. “It helps you from straining your body throughout the day by even the simplest of movements which is what happens to me all the time.”

Whether you feel like your neck needs a good stretch or not, make today your first day practicing daily neck hygiene with the exercises in the video below. There’s a very strong chance you’ll relieve tightness you didn’t even know was there.

Here are six more quick ways to relieve neck tension. Here’s the one thing people get wrong about neck pain, according to a physical therapist.