Does Swimming Have Benefits for the Cervical Spine?

Many people nowadays do not pay attention to their living habits in daily life, such as frequently looking down at their phones, playing computer games, etc. These bad habits can cause certain harm to the cervical spine, and in severe cases, can even lead to cervical spondylosis. It is still important to cultivate good living habits in life, and do more outdoor sports. Activities like swimming, little swallow flying, yoga, and flying kites are all beneficial to the cervical spine.

It is recommended for patients with cervical spondylosis to swim when the weather is warmer. It is best to prepare a towel at the edge of the pool to wipe off the moisture on the body in time. After swimming, you can use a hot towel to apply to the cervical spine at home to ensure its comfort. During the onset of cervical spondylosis, swimming should be avoided to prevent more extensive pain.

Simulating the flying posture of a swallow for physical exercise, the standard little swallow flying action can strengthen the exercise of neck muscles, as well as strengthen the exercise of the lumbar and back muscles. However, little swallow flying can only exercise the posture of tilting the head backwards, and it is difficult for most people to complete it standardly, so it can only be used as an auxiliary exercise method for cervical spondylosis.

Reasonable yoga poses can effectively relieve neck muscle tension, slow down joint pressure, and alleviate neck fatigue. However, due to the need for professional guidance in learning and practicing yoga, incorrect poses can often have the opposite effect. Therefore, it is best to practice yoga under the guidance of a professional coach.

When flying kites, lifting your head can stretch the platysma and sternocleidomastoid muscles, relax the muscles at the back of the neck, and relieve muscle soreness caused by frequent head-down movements. However, when flying kites, attention should be paid to the surrounding situation, proper warm-up preparation should be made, and attention should be paid to keeping the neck and shoulders warm.

Summary: When patients with cervical spondylosis are exercising, they must understand their type of cervical spondylosis. Some types of cervical spondylosis patients, such as those with vertebral artery-type cervical spondylosis, should be particularly careful when swimming to avoid compressing the blood vessels due to the contraction of joint muscles during exercise, which can induce unexpected accidents during exercise. Therefore, patients with cervical spondylosis should follow the advice of doctors or professional fitness coaches when swimming, and refer to professional exercise prescriptions to achieve the purpose of fitness!