Neck and trunk muscles

Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Neck and trunk muscles are in action practically 24 hours a day. Thanks to various muscles in the neck region, we can not only keep the head upright, but also move it in different directions. The neck muscles also help us swallow and speak. Strong core muscles - consisting of back and abdominal muscles - stabilize the upper body, relieve the spine and intervertebral discs and give us the necessary mobility when walking, running, bending over, dancing and jumping.

Neck muscles

In the front of the neck, two muscle groups attach to the hyoid bone at the top and bottom, thereby stabilizing it. Despite its name, the small bone does not belong to the skull, but to the torso skeleton and serves as an attachment point for various muscles of the tongue, neck and larynx. For example, when we swallow or speak, one of these muscles lifts the hyoid bone and the larynx, and also pulls the lower jaw down.

Various other neck muscles ensure that we keep the head, which weighs several kilos, in balance and can shake it back and forth to say no, for example.

Abdominal muscles

In the stomach area (abdomen), three muscle layers lying on top of one another, the fibers of which run in different directions, protect the organs inside - especially when the muscles are well trained and taut. If the subcutaneous fat layer is only thin, men in particular can convert these muscle packs into a "six-pack".

But there are other abdominal muscles. All of them together help us, for example, to bend the upper body forwards or to the side. They support deep inhalation and exhalation by pulling the abdominal wall outwards or inwards. And finally, the abdominal muscles give us the strength to squeeze when necessary - for example when defecating or during childbirth.

Back muscles

The back muscles are very complex. Around 150 muscles start in different places, run in different directions and overlap in many places. There are three groups of back muscles: deep, middle-class and surface muscles.

The deep back muscles are short and strong and connect the individual vertebral bodies with one another. They give our spine support, enable an upright posture and make the back flexible. Around 80 percent of all back pain can be traced back to neglected deep muscles.

The middle-layer muscles run from the pelvis over the vertebral bodies to the head and are the link between the spine and the rib cage. With their help, we can bend forward and straighten up again.

The surface muscles are located directly under the skin. It connects the vertebral bodies with the shoulders and hips and coordinates the movements of arms, legs and spine with one another.