Tight and sore muscles can be seriously frustrating, particularly if they're getting in the way of your day-to-day life, or affecting your sleep.
One area where many people experience tightness is in the shoulders and neck, which is often caused by bad posture, or hunching over in front of a screen.
The best way to relieve muscle tightness is by stretching. Posture and mobility coach Veronika Butorina has shared a stretching routine for the neck and shoulders, and says it will feel almost like you've just had a massage.
How to do Veronika Butorina's neck and shoulder stretch routine
You don't need any equipment for this routine, although it is worth rolling out a yoga mat, towel or blanket to make yourself more comfortable, because you'll be doing all of the movements on the floor.
There are just four stretches in this routine and it should only take a few minutes, according to Butorina.
Some of the stretches are dynamic, which means you'll move in and out of them, and some are passive, which means you hold them. Both types of stretches have different benefits for the muscles and joints.
Watch Butorina's Reel to see demonstrations of each stretch as well as how many reps you should do or how long you should hold each move.
Is stretching really as good as a massage?
A massage can be one of the most satisfying things for relieving muscle tension, but stretching could be just as good for helping you deal with aches and pains, and offers some additional benefits. "Stretching is more likely to help maintain joint range of motion than massage," says Helen O'Leary, physiotherapist and clinical director at Complete Pilates.
Increasing your range of motion by stretching regularly could help to prevent you from developing any new niggles in your muscles and joints.
Plus, stretching can also provide immediate relief. "Stiff and achy muscles around the shoulders and neck can commonly be associated with lack of movement," says O'Leary. "Our bodies are designed to move, so aches and pains may be our bodies' way of letting us know it is time to move."
However, massage does offer some unique benefits. "Massage can be really helpful for addressing deep focal areas of muscle tension, or scar tissue," says O'Leary.
O'Leary recommends combining massage and stretching to help relieve symptoms, and she says it's also worth adding some strength exercises into your routine. Plus, make sure to seek help from a healthcare professional to figure out the root cause of your aches and pains.
