Just 10 minutes: see how to practice progressive muscle relaxation and relieve tension

Stress and anxiety are not just experienced in your mind. You feel them in your body, often manifesting as tension.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a powerful mind-body relaxation technique that can help you release tension and relieve the stress and anxiety that started it. Even better, you can easily do this in the comfort of your own home – or anywhere you can lie down or sit quietly for five or 10 minutes.

Progressive muscle relaxation has been shown in several studies to help relieve anxiety and stress and make it easier to sleep for those who are highly stressed, including patients with Covid-19 It is burn victims.

This powerful tool also increases pain thresholds in patients who underwent surgery or with advanced canceraccording to the survey.

Because stress isn’t just reserved for those who struggle with health issues, progressive muscle relaxation is also a technique widely used by elite athletes. In my work as a mind-body coach in professional sports, I use the technique with many of my athletes.

“Progressive muscle relaxation can offer a powerful muscle-to-mind technique where the systematic tension and relaxation of muscles can often be felt and accessed by athletes immediately,” said Rob DiBernardo, mental performance coordinator for the Toronto Blue Jays.

“The technique has an active ‘doing’ quality that some athletes enjoy and which can increase body awareness,” he added.

This feature makes progressive muscle relaxation an accessible mind-body relaxation practice for anyone, even children, who may struggle with the inactive aspect of meditation or visualization practices.

If you would like to experience the deep relaxation and stress relief benefits that the technique offers, follow the instructions below:

The progressive muscle relaxation script

This practice is best performed lying down, but you can also do it in a comfortable sitting position. The following instructions are based on the lying position.

– To start, lie on your back, with your legs straight and your arms at your sides. Feel free to place a pillow or towel under your head.

– Gently close your eyes and focus your attention on your breath. Take five long, deep breaths, lengthening your breathing rhythm to at least five or more seconds for each inhalation and five or more seconds for each exhalation.

During this practice, your breath serves as the link between your mind and body, coordinating each muscle contraction and release.

– Inhale as you point your toes up and back, flexing your ankles and contracting the muscles on top of your feet. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you curl your toes down, pointing them down in plantar flexion, tensing the muscles on the bottom of your feet. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you point your toes up and back, but this time focus your attention on the contraction of the muscles in the front of your legs. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you repeat, curling your toes and pointing them down, this time focusing on contracting the calf muscles at the back of your legs. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you pull your knee caps up and contract the large quadriceps muscles at the front of your upper legs. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you slightly – almost imperceptibly – bend your knees to help you access and contract the hamstring muscles at the back of your upper legs. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale to contract the muscles of the buttocks and pelvic floor. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale and contract the abdomen, pressing the lumbar region downwards. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale and, taking care not to cause pain, slightly – almost imperceptibly – arch your lower back to create tension. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale, fully expanding the ribcage horizontally and creating a feeling of tension that involves the entire chest. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you spread your fingers wide, feeling the muscles in the upper part of your hands tense. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you clench your fists, feeling the tension in your fingers. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you extend your wrists to pull your hands back, pointing your fingers upward to feel the muscles on the top of your forearms contract. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you flex your wrists, pointing your fingers down to feel the muscles in your forearms contract. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you extend your elbows and make your arms as long and straight as possible, feeling the triceps muscles at the back of your upper arms contract. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale as you slightly – almost imperceptibly – bend your elbows and contract the biceps muscles at the front of your arms. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale, lifting the ribcage and shoulders towards the ears, creating tension in the upper back, shoulders and neck. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale and purse your lips tightly. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale and open your mouth as wide as possible. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale and close your eyes tightly as you wrinkle your nose and pull your cheeks up. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Inhale and raise your eyebrows as high as possible, feeling the muscles in your forehead contract. Break. Exhale to release and relax.

– Take five long, deep breaths as your mind rests in awareness of your body’s state of total relaxation.

For best results, I recommend practicing daily for a week and then several times a week.

*Editor’s note: Dana Santas is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, and is the author of “Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief.”