Relaxation Techniques To Reduce Stress And Muscle Tension

Relaxation Techniques To Reduce Stress And Muscle Tension

Relaxation is a need for the human body. We must include in our workouts some minutes to relax and get rid of the usual stress.

Before doing this, we need to know some relaxation techniques that involve refocusing our attention on something calming and increasing our awareness of our body.

You may try any relaxation technique but important is to do it regularly.

Most Usual Relaxation Techniques

We will present to you three types of relaxation techniques:

1. Autogenic Relaxation

Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this technique, we repeat suggestions in our minds to relax and reduce muscle tension.

To reduce stress with this technique we use both body awareness and visual imagery.

We imagine a peaceful place and then focus on relaxing our arms and legs one by one, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

In this technique, we need to tense and relax every muscle group of our body.

There are two ways of doing this:

  • Start tensing and relaxing our toes muscles;
  • And progressively work our way up to the neck or from the neck to the toes.

Every muscle should be tense for five seconds and then relaxed for 30 seconds. This timing is available for every group of muscles.

3. Visualization

In this relaxation technique, we form mental images. This technique is different from autogenic relaxation because it involves all our senses.

Not only do we imagine a beautiful and peaceful place but we use our senses to imagine a sound, a smell, heat and cold, etc.

For example, imagine you are on a trip to a mountain. Feel the fresh and a little cold air, the smell of the grass, and the chirping birds. Imagining this is the best way to relax both your body and your mind.

These relaxation techniques are skills that you need to practice daily for the best results.

Be patient and don’t add this technique as another stress factor if it didn’t work for the first time. Any skill is learned in time.

If one technique didn’t work try another and if none works then is a bigger problem with your body and you need to see your doctor.

Don’t forget that being fit means daily workouts, a good diet, and time to relax your body.

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