Muscles Relaxation Techniques | What To Know

Muscle tension is the reaction of our body towards fear or anxiety. This can result in a feeling of tension or can lead to muscle ache, as well as leaving some people feeling exhausted. This about how you respond to anxiety or any other pathetic situation. How do you react? Do you “tense up” during an anxious feeling? In this situation, muscles relaxation techniques can be helpful for you where anxiety is especially associated with muscle tension. This article helps you to regard muscles relaxation techniques and the way to reduce muscle tension.

Some people prefer to do the Muscles Relaxation Technique in the morning whereas some like to do in the evening. It does not matter that you are doing muscles relaxation techniques as a way of waking up or doing just before going to bed, the important thing is you have to do on regular basis. Therefore, you get the desire results.

Muscles tension

Mostly the reason behind muscle tension is stress, fear, and anxiety, however, that also helps our body to prepare for emergencies. Even though some of those conditions may not be alarming in actual, our body respond in the same way. Most of the time, we don’t even notice how our muscles become tense, but perhaps you clench your teeth slightly and you may feel tightness in shoulders and jaws. Muscle tension can also be linked with backaches and tension headaches.

Progressive Muscles Relaxation

A progressive muscle relaxation technique is a way to reduce muscle tension. With a progressive muscle relaxation technique, you tense up one muscle at a time and then relax them. For the required results, you have to do this consistently.

When you are beginning to practice progressive muscles relaxation exercises keep the following points in mind:

·  Physical Injuries

If you are suffering from any injury or you have a history of serious physical injury which may cause muscle pain then you should consult with your doctor first.

·   Select your surroundings

For doing muscle relaxation you need comfortable and relaxing surroundings. Minimize the distraction to your five senses.  Such as, use soft lighting, turning off all noisy applications like TV or computer.

·  Make yourself comfortable

For exercise use a chair that is comfortable for you and makes your body relax. Comfortably seat your body including your head. Try to wear loose clothing and take off your shoes.

·  Internal mechanics

Avoid practicing after eating too much or heavy meals. You also need to avoid doing exercise after taking any intoxications like pills or after smoking etc.

Guidelines for Exercise Conduction

Progressive muscle relaxation techniques should be conducted in proper steps for better results. It should be followed in a given sequence and procedure. The Guidelines for Exercise Conduction include:

1. First, set aside the place for relaxation, slow down your breathing, and allow yourself to relax.
2. After that, you are ready to begin, tense the muscle group described. During activity make sure you can feel the tension on targeted muscles but not too much that you feel a great deal of pain. Tense the targeted muscles and try to keep it for 4 seconds.
3. Relax the muscles and keep on the state for 8-9 seconds. It may be helpful to say something.
4. Finally, when you finish the relaxation procedure, don’t leave the seat for a few minutes for allowing yourself to be alert.

Relaxation Exercise Steps In Muscles Relaxation Techniques 

As you start the relaxation exercise, your body should feel warm and heavy. The feeling of being heavy will shift into the feeling of weightlessness as your body becomes relaxed. It takes several days or weeks to get a full relaxation response but you notice progress on daily basis too if you learn the skill of relaxing.

• Right hand and forearm make a grip with your right hand.
• Right upper arm Bring right forearm up to your shoulder to make a muscle.
• Left-hand and forearm makes a fist with your left hand.
• Left upper arm Bring left forearm up to your shoulder to make a muscle.
• Forehead Raise your eyebrow as high as they can go like you were surprised by something.
• Eyes and cheeks press your eyes tight shut. Mouth and jaws now, open your mouth as wide as you can, like you are yawing.
• Neck At this point, be careful as you tense these muscles. Face forward and pull your head back slowly, as you are looking up to the sky or roof.
• Shoulders Tense the muscles in your shoulder as you bring your shoulder up in a position towards your ears
• Back/ Shoulder blades push your shoulders back, trying to touch them together so that your chest is pushed forward.
• Stomach and Chest Breath in deeply, filling up your lungs and chest with air.
• Buttock and hips squeeze your buttock and hip muscles for relaxation purposes.
• Right upper leg now, tighten your right thigh.
• Right lower leg do this slowly and carefully for the purpose of avoiding cramps. Pull toes towards you to stretch the muscles.

Here our exercise will be done. As we all know that practice means progress. You can be aware of your muscles only through practice, that how they respond with tension or any panic situation, and how you make them relax.

Pros And Cons Of Muscles Relaxation Techniques

As nothing is perfect in the world, everything and even everyone has its pros and cons. Similarly, muscle relaxation techniques have their own pros and cons. One of the advantages is you can use relaxation techniques at any time. It’s not time-consuming and easy to learn. Disadvantages may include it does not resolve all stress but it can provide required results with consistency.

In conclusion, there are some misconceptions related to muscle relaxation techniques. The first misconception is that it only helps your body to relax. However, it also helps you to relieve your mental stress too. Another misconception is, the person become dependent on relaxation techniques to let go of stress away. The fact is, it just aids the person and not make them dependent.