Due to our lifestyle, we suffer from a lot of stress. Using the techniques mentioned in this write up, you will be able to relax the tensed muscles.
When there is a feeling of tightness or tension in the body, it is a clear sign that the person is under stress. Many times, we may not realize that we are under stress until the muscles in the shoulders, back, etc., turn tight and begin to pain.
Once you know how to relax your muscles, you will be able to prevent the tension from aggravating into a muscle pain. Relaxing the muscles will also have a calming effect on the brain. It is commonly seen that different relaxation techniques make people more aware of their bodies.
There are different methods that can be implemented to relax the different muscles of the body. However, the best way is to try the different simple ways to relax the muscles before using relaxants, either natural or the ones available over the counter.
Some Muscle Relaxing Techniques
There are different activities included in this list. These activities will prove to be of help in doing away with the stress accumulated all through the day.
Breathing Techniques
If you want to relax your muscles before going to bed, then breathing exercises is the answer.
You will have to take deep long breaths. Pay total attention to your breathing pattern. Take as much as 4 seconds to breathe in and an equal amount of time to exhale.
As you go through the inhale and exhale cycle, you will be able to feel the tightness making its way out of your body. It is important that you also try to feel the fresh air moving through all the parts of the body. It is often seen that deep-concentrated breathing helps in improving mind-body coordination and awareness and provides relief from stress.
Stretching
Most people tend to neglect the two most important parts of the workout, namely, warm up and cool down. Stretching should ideally be a part of both the warm up as well as the cool down.
It should not be neglected at least in the cool down phase. It helps in relieving the tension accumulated in the body during the workout and also helps in improving the range of motion.
Sleep
Sleep is the best way to relax the sore muscles. When a person sleeps, the body tends to heal. The recovery process during sleep is said to be the best.
If a person does not get sufficient amount of sleep, then it is natural for the person to suffer from a significant amount of stress. Every person needs a minimum of 6 to 7 hours of sleep everyday. If you can manage a few minutes of siesta in the afternoon, it will work to your advantage.
Massage
Massage is also a method to relax worked-up muscles. You can opt for a massage either on a weekend or after you have had a hard tiring day. You can make use of different massage oils for this purpose.
While getting the massage done, do not forget to concentrate on your breathing. Deep breathing during the massage will have a further soothing and calming effect.
Acupressure and Acupuncture
Both acupressure and acupuncture have a healing effect. Both these techniques concentrate on the pressure points located on different parts of the body. Targeting the pressure points will help in relaxing the muscles.
Aromatherapy
The next step is the use of aromatherapy. One can make use of different aromatherapy recipes for stress. These recipes are simple and do not require a lot of work.
Herbs
There are many herbs to relax muscles.
These are, at times, considered the best possible remedy for relaxing stressed muscles. Research has proven that green tea is great at relieving stress in the muscles. Other herbs are chamomile, valerian root, lavender, licorice, etc.
Relaxing Neck Muscles
Most of us exert our neck a lot all through the day. We either work on the computers, read, write, etc., which puts immense pressure on the neck. Certain neck exercises like neck rotations both clockwise and anticlockwise (10 to 12 times) and neck bending both from side to side and up and down greatly help in relaxing the neck muscles.
Relaxing the Lower Back Muscles
Lower back pain is a common complaint not just in America, but all around the world. It is known to cause a lot of discomfort and may give many a sleepless night. Many opt for muscle relaxants for back pain; however, it is important to make certain lifestyle changes to get rid of the condition.
There are specific mattresses available, which provide proper back support and this in turn ensures a good sleeping posture. Sitting in a proper upright position is also important.
Some people either tend to slouch when they work while others have a real straight back. Either one of these is not good for the spine, which in turn leads to back pain. Back strengthening exercises can be practiced to relax the muscles.
It is important to relieve tension and stress as soon as you realize it is building up, rather than waiting till it aggravates into pain. When it reaches the pain stage, dealing with it may become a rather difficult task. When the condition becomes unbearable, do not delay in visiting a doctor. Take care!
Disclaimer:This is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.