What happens when we are under tension?
When we are under physical threat the body naturally tenses up certain muscles in order to protect itself. It basically hunches and curls up into a ball to protect vulnerable areas and expose the better-protected ones.
These are the muscles that tense up under stress:
- We tend to frown- We tend to clench our jaws
- Our shoulders tend to hunch up
- Our chest tends to close
- Our arms tend to come into our sides
- Our hands tend to bunch into fists
- Our legs tend to close
- Our knees tend to be drawn up
- Our feet tend to be drawn up, so our feet are pointing upwards
So how do we relax these muscles?
In order to relax the muscles that tense up under stress we need to move
the affected joints in the opposite direction to the natural danger response.
Here are some relaxation exercises to release tension:-
Here are some relaxation exercises to release tension:-
1. Try to move your forehead or hairline backwards over the top of your head
- the opposite of a frown. It may help to imagine your hand stroking backwards from your forehead over the top of your head and down to the back of your neck
- but don't actually do the stoking.
2. Open your mouth as wide as you can, hold and release.
3. Push your shoulders down and back, hold and release.
4. Stretch your arms up and link your hands above you head.
5. Open your hands as wide as you possibly can, hold and release.
6. Lie on your back and roll your knees outwards.
No need for a big movement on this one
- a few millimeters is all that's needed to relax your inner thigh muscles.
7. Straighten your knees so that your hip is opened out and stretched.
8. Point your toes downwards as far as you can. Hold and release.
The ideal way to start learning these exercises is to lie flat on your back.
The ideal way to start learning these exercises is to lie flat on your back.
Once you have got the hang of it you can do them at any time: sitting at your desk,
waiting in a queue, waiting at a stoplight. Wherever you have a few moments to wait.
source from: http://ezinearticles.com/
source from: http://ezinearticles.com/
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