Why does your neck hurt during Pilates Abdominal Curls? (And the simple towel hack to fix it)
Feel the burn in your neck instead of your abs during Pilates? Discover why your neck strains during ab curls, how to break the habit, and a simple towel hack to instantly target your deep core.
If you’ve ever found yourself halfway through a Pilates class holding an abdominal curl (or pumping away in The Hundred) only to realize your neck is screaming louder than your abs, you are definitely not alone.
Neck strain during Pilates is one of the most common complaints among both beginners and experienced practitioners. But here is the good news: Pilates is designed to heal and strengthen your body, not cause pain. If your neck is hurting, it is simply a sign of a movement pattern misalignment and it is completely fixable.
In this post, we will break down exactly why your neck strains during Pilates ab curls, what is happening anatomically, and how you can use a simple household towel to quiet those stubborn neck muscles and finally get your abs to fire properly.
The Anatomy Breakdown: Why Does My Neck Hurt?
Your head weighs roughly 10 to 12 pounds (about the size of a heavy bowling ball!). When you are lying flat on your back, that weight is safely supported by the mat. But the second you lift your head, neck, and shoulders into an abdominal curl, gravity takes over.
Ideally, your upper abdominal muscles should act as the powerhouse, contracting to lift the weight of your head and upper torso. However, two major things usually happen instead:
The "Turtle Head" Pull: When our deep core muscles aren't firing efficiently yet, the brain panics and recruits the closest helper muscles. This leads to over-recruiting the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and superficial anterior neck muscles. Instead of curling from the ribs, we aggressively jut our chin forward or pull up using the neck.
Gripping and Tension: A lack of upper-body awareness can cause us to choke up our shoulders toward our ears. Tense shoulders lock up the upper spine (thoracic spine), making it nearly impossible to get a true, fluid curl from the breastbone.
The result? Your core gets a vacation, while the tiny, delicate muscles in your neck end up doing all the work.
How to Fix It: Shift the Work to Your Core
To eliminate neck tension, you have to retrain your brain and body to change where the movement is initiated.
Initiate with a Chin Nod: Before you lift, think of a very subtle nod of the chin (like nodding "yes"). This elongates the back of the neck and prepares the spine.
Lift from the Ribs, Not the Chin: Imagine turning a knob right at your bra line or the bottom of your ribs. Your upper abs should pull downward toward your spine, which naturally peels your chest off the floor.
Relax Your Shoulders: Slide your shoulder blades down your back to open up space across your collarbones.
The Ultimate Hack: The Pilates Towel Cradle
I’ve put together a quick, step-by-step instructional video showing a game-changing Towel Cradle Technique. This simple modification provides the external support your body needs so you can stop straining and start connecting to your powerhouse.
How It Works:
Grab a small hand towel and lay it flat at the top of your mat.
Lie down so that the base of your skull rests comfortably on the center of the towel.
Reach back and hold the top corners of the towel with both hands, letting your elbows float slightly upward and forward.
Completely surrender the weight of your head into the fabric. Imagine the towel is a hammock.
Exhale, and initiate your ab curl. Your arms should hold the entire weight of your head, your arms will get tired! This way you take the neck out of it and can then directly recruite your abs!
You will need to practice this for a bit to build up your core strength before taking the towel away. Try it once a day for just 5 minutes. Consistency is the key here to training your abs.
