Top 3 Neck Exercises & Stretches for Beginners

The key to preventing neck injuries is in developing strength and flexibility in your neck.  Although there are many exercises you can perform to improve your neck muscles. The following three very simple stretches and exercises are for beginners.  As with all neck exercise always begin in the neutral position.  Neutral position is when the body is aligned and relaxed. Also, as with any exercises you should always do these and any exercises under the guidance of your doctor.  Neck exercises should be performed in a slow and controlled manner.

1. Chin Tuck
The chin tuck is the most popular and easiest exercise you can do to help correct your posture, prevent getting a rounded back and an unnatural forward head position; both of 
which are more likely to occur as you age.  You can perform the chin tuck either from a standing, sitting or lying down position as long as you begin in the neutral position.  

From a neutral position, begin with your head facing forward and gently push your chin back to form somewhat of a double chin and hold for a few seconds. Repeat.  Be sure not to raise or lower the head.  You should be looking straight ahead.  It may be helpful to perform this in front of a mirror or start with your back straight against a door or wall.

2. Shoulder Blade Squeeze 
There are several different methods for the shoulder blade squeeze and you will want to find one that is best for you.  This exercise will help strengthen your neck and improve your posture.  Begin sitting in a neutral position with your chin slightly tucked in.  Place your hands on the tops of your thighs.  Slowly pull shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.  Hold for a few seconds. Repeat.

3. Head Rotation
This exercise will help strengthen and stretch the neck rotators and relieve stiffness in your neck.  It is very important to begin this exercise either standing or sitting in the neutral position with the head and neck in proper axial alignment.  Once in the proper position slowly turn your head to one, hold for a few seconds then turn back to the center and repeat on the opposite side.  Always remember to keep your body in proper alignment throughout the entire exercise movement.  

Contour Products offers a variety of neck pillows and related products.

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Cyber Monday Savings at Contour

Happy Cyber Monday shopping to all of our online customers!

Shop today and take your pick of savings:

Choose FREE Shipping with $50 purchase - Enter coupon GIVE at checkout OR
Take $10 off $100 orders with coupon MONDAY

You can only use one, and both expire tomorrow.

Enter the coupon in your shopping cart before you start the checkout process

Plus you'll save even more on most of our products!   Great gifts include pillows, leg pillows, seat cushions, our Mattress genie and Back Support products.

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Early Black Friday Coupon

 

Shop Black Friday weekend at Contour Living and your shipping is on us!  Free Shipping applies to any product or combination of products totally $50 or more.  Enter coupon GIVE in your shopping cart, just before you start the checkout process.

Check out our new Kabooti donut/coccyx cushion, our unique folding bed wedge, leg pillows and many more great gift ideas.

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Give the Gift of Comfort, Health and Wellness for the 2012 Holidays

We are all hoping for an improved economic outlook for the coming New Year 2013.  We look forward to returning to work, getting on a good heath plan and lessening the stress and worry over our economy. As a result of job losses and lack of good medical insurance, overall health conditions have been a big issue over the past year.  Give the Gift of Comfort, Health and Wellness for the Holidays!  

Our biggest holiday shopping season has begun and everyone is looking for an affordable, quality gift for their loved ones.  Stand out this holiday season with well thought out, practical gifts for your family and friends.   A gift which will improve their aches and pains and allow them to get a better nights rest and feel good about the coming New Year.   There is no better gift than a gift that helps someone feel better!

A superior seat cushion which can provide all-day comfort is one great choice.  Our Kabooti Donut Cushion has a stylish cover making this donut discreet masking itself as a tradition seat cushion. Get the much needed relief from coccyx tailbone pain without the embarrassment – give the Kabooti for their booty! 

Sleep, read and eat in bed comfortably all with the flip of your pillow! Perfect gift for your college student’s dorm room is our Contour Flip Pillow which is 10 Pillows in One!  

An easy and affordable way to reduce pressure and pain in your lower back while you sleep can be achieved with our Contour Leg Pillow available in both 100% memory foam and traditional support foam.  Give the give of comfort for the lower back, hips and knees.
Know someone who has trouble getting up out of bed?  Our Mattress Genie Adjustable Bed Wedge works like an adjustable bed.  Raise and lower your mattress via remove control.
Help someone adjust to using their CPAP machine by giving them our deluxe CPAPmax Bed Pillow.  This specially designed CPAP pillow improves the fit and comfort of all CPAP masks!
For more great gift giving ideas visit Contour Living.com and give the gift that says you care.  Happy Holidays from Contour Products!

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Helping Your Elderly Parent Be Comfortable at Home

According to a 2009 survey by the AARP, more than 42 million Americans provide family care giving for an adult who needs help with daily activities.

Not everyone has the option or wants to place their parent or loved one in a nursing home; leaving the majority of the burden of home care up to the family member living closest to the parent.  When a nursing home or assisted living community is not one of your options you may need to consider planning daily visits, working out a visitation schedule with your siblings, hiring a home health aide or have the parent move into your home.

Both you and your loved one will benefit from making them as comfortable as possible while in the home.  Daily activities such as getting out of bed or up from a seated position, finding a comfortable sleeping position, personal care and grooming habits, walking, balance and mobility all may become increasing difficult to perform as you age. Often these activities are a result of a physical limitation due to a bad back, faulty knees or recovery from shoulder, knee or hip replacement. There is a wide selection of equipment and products on the market today which help the elderly live at home in comfort and safety.

Before you go broke purchasing a bunch of products which may go unused, here are some suggestions which should save you both time and money when considering which products will be best when providing in-home caring for your elderly parent or loved one. Observe which activities are most difficult for them to perform in their home.  They may have difficulty getting in and out of bed. An adjustable bed might be nice but they tend to be very costly.  An alternative may be a Mattress Genie which uses a remote to raise and lower the upper mattress.  They may wander around the house because sitting is painful but, you may never know unless you sit down and talk with your loved one about their difficulties.  A new cushion for their favorite chair may be the solution that makes them comfortable sitting.  Once they are comfortable sitting they may begin a new hobby, start doing crossword puzzles, knitting, watching television or other activities which may help relive their stress and stimulate their brain.

Getting a good nights rest has many health benefits for everyone and can be difficult to obtain as you get older.  Weather you have to get up several times during the night to use the bathroom or adjust your CPAP machine while you sleep, when you do not sleep well it is likely that you will be moody and miserable the next day.  Since caring for your loved one at home is difficult for the both of you a positive attitude plays a major role in the success of your endeavors.  Sometimes having that perfect pillow to sleep on at night can make all the difference in how happy you are the next day!

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Help Me Get Off My Recliner!

No, I am not talking about couch potatoes or lazy people!  According to Kathryne Pirtle, writer for The Weston A Price Foundation, In the United States, sixty million people have acid reflux, or one in five people. Last year, hospitals recorded four hundred seventy thousand hospitalizations and almost two million emergency room visits from acid reflux.   As a result, there are many men and women who end up sleeping all night in their recliners because they have so much trouble lying down, sleeping in their own bed.  Stacking pillows in a huge pile under your head just do not seem to do the trick!  However, over time the recliner will loose its appeal and you will end up not sleeping well anywhere.  The solution is simple, invest in a good bed wedge that will allow you to sleep all night in your own bed and help alleviate some of your symptoms caused by GERD, acid reflux or sleeping disorders.

A wedge is a pillow shaped like a ramp which allows your body to rest in a gentle, natural reclining position.  The most common size bed wedge is 7 inches which is approximately a 20 degree incline starting at your head and ending at your waist.  Often, when you stack pillows to raise your head in bed you end up bending your abdomen in a way they may restrict the digestive tract which in turn, may worsen your reflux or other problems.

If you are recovering from surgery or are required to spend most of your time in bed then a taller wedge of either 10 or 12 inches may be a better choice.  In this case, a neck pillow will be useful to support your head which will allow you to be able to watch television, eat or read in bed comfortably and doze off to sleep when you get tired.

Your GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), acid reflux, belching, heartburn, sleep apnea and other breathing or digestive disorders often prevent you from getting a good nights sleep since they seem to worsen at night.  There are a number of other factors which will also increase the likelihood of a GERD flare-up including weight gain, smoking, certain foods, alcohol consumption, pregnancy and age.   Allowing gravity to help move everything toward your feet by sleeping on a bed wedge may help you get your best nights sleep ever!

Reference:
http://www.westonaprice.org/digestive-disorders/acid-reflux-a-red-flag

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Reduce Neck Pain and Tension

New Self-Massage Tool for Neck Pain & Tension

Neck King is a self-massage tool designed to release tension in the neck and back muscles. Its four strategically placed bumps allow users to apply pressure to various areas of the neck and back.  It is very easy to use - simply place under desired area (neck, back, legs, etc) and relax.  The raised contour areas will  melt into the areas of tension.  Use daily to reduce pain and pressure on nerves throughout your body.

Neck Muscles and Surrounding Area

1. Laying down on your back, raise your head and place the Neck King  under your neck, with the lower bumps facing your body. Keep the neck centered between those bumps.
2. Relax your body and let the bumps melt into your tense muscles.
3. Gently rock your head to one side then the other, looking for other tender areas to work.
4. Stay over the tender areas on both sides of the neck, allowing the muscles to relax and associated tension to release. Tender areas should become less tender with daily use of Neck King.
5. Finally, stretch your neck by allowing your head to roll all the way to each side. Hold the stretch and relax. Repeat this several times. This will help increase your range of motion.

Back Area

1. Laying on your back, place a pillow under your head 
2. Place the Neck King just below the pillow and carefully lower your back onto it. Make sure to keep your spine centered between the bumps
3. Relax your body and let the bumps melt into your tense muscles
4. To work each side more intensely, you can bend your knees so your feet rest flat on the floor. Then, gently rock your knees side to side. This will allow you to focus more on one side

       
   

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10 Pillows in 1 - The new Flip Pillow

See the new Flip Pillow by Contour Products - get 10 pillows in 1!

Whether you buy one or more Flip Pillows, you can arrange them in a huge variety of positions, placements and areas of your body to satisfy so many so needs.

• Place the Flip Pillow under your upper body to act as a wedge, gently elevating you body during sleep
• Place under arms to make reading on your stomach a breeze
• Then simply go to sleep - the Flip Pillow makes a great stomach sleeping pillow
• Prop up behind back for upright support
• Use behind back, neck and head for support while relaxing on couch
• Flip the wedge out of the way and use the smaller portion as a bed pillow
• Use under your legs to elevate knees for improved circulation and to ease lower back pain
• Place Flip Pillow under feet to elevate and soothe tired feet
• Place the Flip Pillow in any chair to improve posture and lower back (lumbar support
• Helps to allow reading in multiple style chairs
• Use two Flip Pillows for a combination wedge and knee support

Create your own unique positions.  Now the Flip Pillow comes in larger queen and king sizes as well.

Makes a great gift for yourself or someone you love.  get yours today!

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Easiest Back Pain Relief Device?

Contour Living has just added a new product billed as "The World's Easiest Back pain Relief Device!"

It definitely has a unique design - employing a concave shape and relying on the body weight of the patient and gravity to naturally align the spine.   User instructions advise using 2-3 times a day, for 10-20 minutes each duration for maximum results.   User can passively lay on device (activities include reading,  resting even watching TV) or you can strengthen your body with exercise.   A Free DVD with exercises is included.

The product is called the Wondertrack, available for $59.99 at ContourLiving.com.  It is a FDA registered device and was developed by an Orthopedic Doctor.  It is very easy to use - simply lie down on it, reap the benefits!

Product instructions:

Use on a hard surface for best results.  Wear a shirt or place a towel on the WonderTrack prior to use.  Not recommended for direct skin contact.  Lie down for back relief only, or have the option of exercising to improve strength.

WonderTrack is very easy to use - Simply lie on back and naturally straighten spine.

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Here is a Touching Review from a Contour Customer

Just had to share this note sent into Contour regarding a customer's experience with our BackMax cushions:

My husband has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). His symptoms began in June of 2007 and he was not diagnosed until May 2009. With this disease you lose all your voluntary muscles. Most do not have a problem with their diaphragm until the disease progresses. That was not the case with my husband. Even with the assist of a bi-level machine to assist his breathing, he needed to be in an upright position. We tried a wedge but it did not work. He would slip down and was unable to breathe.

For several months he slept in a recliner and I slept on the couch to be near him. I finally told him I had to go back to bed. That lasted 2 nights as he took a bad fall in the middle of the night…so back on the couch I went. I then began an internet search to try and find something to help. I came across the Backmax. I ended up purchasing one from the J.C. Penny catalog because it was returnable. I wasn’t sure this would work either. IT WORKED PERFECTLY!

My husband was back in bed with me and he was comfortable for the first time in months. (This was back in ’09.) Once again we were both getting a good night’s sleep. I can’t tell you how this changed both of our lives for the better. I made copies of the paper work that came with it and have educated more medical personnel than you could imagine.

I recently purchased the 3rd Backmax. Unfortunately, my husband has lost so much weight, and his spine is exposed, he only slept on it 3 nights and I had to switch him back to the one he had “broken in.” Once again all is well, but now we had this “new” Backmax I did not know what to do with. My plan was to take it with me to the next ALS support group meeting and see if someone else would like to have it.

Then a wonderful thing happened. My husband is now on Hospice and his nurse recently told me her husband has advanced prostate cancer. My heart broke for someone who is so kind to us to know that she is going through her own pain watching her husband suffer. Last Tuesday she left our home and called back in about ½ hour. She offered to buy the Backmax hoping that it might help her husband. I was very happy to give it to her and she took it home.

The following day she called; when she took it home, she put it on their bed and her husband lay down and went to sleep for 6 hours. She told me she could not remember the last time he was able to sleep that long. While she was telling me this story, I got goose bumps and tears in my eyes. Hospice will not allow her to accept this as a gift so whatever money she gives me, I will then donate to Hospice of the Valley.

I just wanted you to know how important this product is that you manufacture. When you can give your loved one relief and comfort, nothing can top that. I will continue to get the word out about your product. For my husband & I, it has made the difference of him in a hospital bed or being able to spend his final days next to me in our bed. Just imagine how important that is to both of us.

My most sincere thanks, D. Price

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