Exercises to relax muscles: practical tips and effective techniques

From this article you will learn:

• What are effective exercises to relax different muscle groups?
• What exercises are used to relax the muscles of the back and neck?
• What is a set of exercises to relax the facial muscles?

Have you ever thought about how much stress has on you? Do you suffer from insomnia, increased irritability or fatigue? Or maybe your friends, looking at your condition, have long been hinting to you that it’s time to rest? If at least one of the signs listed suits you, then perhaps you really need relaxation. Learn, first of all, to relieve muscle tension, and then you will notice how your quality of life will improve. In our article we will tell you in more detail about what relaxation exercises you should master.

Secrets of muscle relaxation in the form of one exercise for different muscle groups

American doctor E. Jacobson in the 20s of the last century developed a technique of progressive muscle relaxation, which was based on the laws of physiology. The basis was the fact that after each tension, any muscle automatically relaxes. Accordingly, to achieve deep muscle rest, you must first work hard. If you hold strong tension for 10–15 seconds, then relaxation occurs for 15–20 seconds.

Performing the technique begins with focusing on breathing. You need to breathe slowly and calmly. Having caught this state of relaxation, you can begin to do the exercises. During training, different muscle groups are worked out.

• Hands. Clench your fist tightly and tense your entire arm from your fingers to your forearm. Then, as you exhale, try to achieve complete relaxation, releasing tension from the muscles. Feel the relief that comes. Perform similar actions with the second hand. Right-handed people should start exercises to relax the muscles of the shoulder girdle with their right hand, and left-handed people should start with their left hand.
• Neck. Neck exercises are done at a slow pace. Tilt your head back and twist it from side to side. Next you should completely relax. Another exercise to relax the shoulder muscles is to tilt the chin to the chest, while the shoulders should be raised as much as possible towards the ears.
• Face. A good workout for the facial and eye muscles is to tense them briefly and then relax them. To do this, you need to close your eyes tightly, frown, wrinkle your nose and clench your jaw tightly, moving the corners of your mouth back. Another option for tension can be to imitate strong surprise, when the eyebrows are raised as much as possible and the mouth opens.

• Breast. Take in more air and hold your breath for a few seconds. This should be followed by a stage of relaxation and restoration of breathing.
• Back and stomach. The optimal exercise for the muscles of the back and lower back is tensing the abdominal muscles while simultaneously bringing the shoulder blades together and arching the spine.
• Legs. With your knee slightly bent, tighten all your thigh muscles. Pull your toes towards you as much as possible. Then clench your fingers, extending the ankle joint. This exercise to relax the leg muscles must be performed regularly.

Repeat the given complex several times. At each stage of relaxation, concentrate on your sensations, try to fully experience this pleasant state. This approach helps relieve stress and normalize your emotional state.

DRUGS OF CHOICE FOR MUSKELETAL PAIN

Their localization is very diverse. The most favorite places for their localization are the lumbar, sacral, shoulder sections of the spine, lower leg and neck. In this case, patients complain of pain in several areas at the same time.

Karateev Andrey Evgenievich Head of the Laboratory of Gastroenterological Problems in Rheumatic Diseases, Federal State Budgetary Institution NIIR named after. V.A. Nasonova, Doctor of Medical Sciences

People suffer from musculoskeletal pain (MSP) at any age. A prerequisite for the development of MPS is functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system, due to compensation of natural age-related aging processes, most often caused by:

• age;
• engaging in heavy physical labor (especially long-term, static loads, lifting heavy objects to the limit of what is possible, vibration);
• the presence of psychosocial aspects (monotonous work, dissatisfaction with working conditions);
• obesity;
• smoking;
• drug addiction;
• severe scoliosis;
• history of headaches.

Therapy for SMS is complex; both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of influence are important in it. Muscle relaxants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics are commonly used in treatment .

The goal of therapy is to break the vicious circle: Pain → Muscle spasm → Pain .

When choosing a “first-line” drug for the treatment of MBS, you should start with moderate ones, gradually approaching “high intensity” drugs, in the absence of absolute contraindications. The maximum effect from the use of NSAIDs is achieved with their regular use. The effectiveness of NSAIDs should be assessed 7–14 days after the start of the first therapeutic dose of the drug. The choice of dosage form of NSAIDs is carried out taking into account the entire collected medical history. The appropriate route of administration of NSAIDs is oral; the use of injectable forms is indicated for short-term treatment of intense acute MPS if oral administration is not possible. Long-term (more than 3 days) use of injectable forms of NSAIDs is not justified from the point of view of effectiveness and safety. Local forms ( ointments, gels, sprays ) can be used as an additional analgesic for mild or moderately severe MPS, as well as the impossibility of systemic use of these drugs due to the high risk of complications. The choice of NSAIDs should be based on safety criteria and determined based on certain risk factors.

Table 1 Algorithm for choosing NSAIDs

Note: when choosing NSAIDs, the risk of gastrointestinal complications increases when moving from non-selective NSAIDs to COX-2 inhibitors and beyond.

Paracetamol can be used as an additional analgesic in the treatment of NSAIDs or as a stand-alone treatment for moderately severe MPS. When using paracetamol, the possible development of liver complications should be taken into account. According to the American Association of ACT Therapists, paracetamol is a weak medicine, requiring a dosage of at least 4 g/day. In a limited group of patients, when comparing the effects of paracetamol and placebo, used for 17 days, at the indicated dosage, no difference was found between them. It has been established that paracetamol negatively affects the state of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract.

Tramadol (opioids) in combination with paracetamol can be used as an additional analgesic when NSAIDs are insufficiently effective. Today, tramadol is the only opioid analgesic actually available to Russian patients. The main advantage of tramadol is the low risk of developing cardiovascular complications, as a complement to NSAID therapy. The prescription of opioid analgesics is carried out using the “titration” method to select an individually effective and tolerable dose. It has been established that the effectiveness of treatment with opioids does not exceed 50% due to their poor tolerability. The attending physician should not lose sight of the formation of drug dependence on opioid analgesics.

Flupirtine is an effective short-term treatment for MPS. This drug is considered as an alternative to NSAIDs in situations where there are contraindications for the systemic administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Glucocorticosteroids (GCS) and hyaluronic acid can be used to treat MPS . Considering that GCS injections can be accompanied by a number of serious local and systemic complications, repeated injections into the same area should be carried out no earlier than 2-3 weeks after the first injection. A course of hyaluronic acid preparations is an important element in the treatment of chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis of large joints. Slow-acting symptomatic drugs (SADS) can reduce the severity of SMS that occurs against the background of osteoarthritis. It is advisable to prescribe them with a fast-acting analgesic (NSAID, paracetamol), assessing their effectiveness no earlier than 1–2 months after the start of treatment.

A feature of the action of MDSS is the gradual development of the therapeutic effect. The reduction in pain relative to the initial levels is small - 20–25% of the initial level.

Of the modern medications in the treatment of MBS, Dilaxa (Celecoxib) has been widely used, the advantages of which are:

• pronounced analgesic effect;
• low risk of gastrointestinal complications;
• convenient selection of therapy.

Table 2 Use of Dilaxa

Based on the materials of the symposium within the framework of the XXIV National Congress “Man and Medicine”

5+ effective exercises to relax your back and neck muscles

1. "Starfish".

Starting position – lying on your back, arms to the sides. Sit on a flat, hard surface. Try to relax as much as possible. Then begin twisting to the side, with your upper torso and arms moving one way and your lower body moving the other. After this, return to the starting position and twist in the opposite direction. Take your time and don't overexert yourself.

1. "Lying stone"

This is a good exercise to relax the muscles of the neck, shoulders and back, helping to improve blood circulation throughout the body. To complete this you will need a mat and a chair. The latter is installed with the seat towards the rug at its very edge. It is necessary to lie on your back so that your legs are bent with your shins lying on the chair. Your hips should be at right angles to the floor. Lie like this for three to four minutes, and then perform several swings with straight arms, trying to reach the floor behind your head with your hands.

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1. "Flexible snake"

Starting position – lying on your stomach, arms supported at shoulder level. Using your hands, slowly lift your upper body. Be careful: your feet rest on your toes. Feel the tension in the muscles of your legs and abdomen, but do not cause discomfort. Return to the starting position. It is advisable to perform at least ten repetitions. This way you will take care of your spine, protecting it from the effects of daily stress or sedentary work. You can also use this exercise to relax your arm muscles.

1. "Embryo".

The fetal position is considered to be the most comfortable and physiologically correct, since it is this position that is established by nature when the fetus is inside the mother. An adult relaxes much faster in it and restores his strength and peace of mind. Starting position - on your back, legs bent and pulled to your stomach with your hands. Lie like this for a minute. Return to the starting position, then do the exercise while lying on your side (first on one side, then on the other). Repeat several times.

1. "Corner".

This exercise to relax the muscles of the lower back and back is performed near a sofa or soft chair. You need to stand behind the back of the furniture and, leaning over it, hang there for several minutes. In this case, the lower abdomen rests on the back, and the toes are on the floor. During the exercise, the body should be bent at a right angle and the arms folded on the chest.

1. "Legs Braiding"

Starting position - lying on your back with your legs bent at the knees and your feet resting on the floor. Grasp your right leg with your hands and rotate it, bringing your shin under the knee bend of your left leg. Slowly pull your legs towards your stomach with your hands until the shin of your left leg is horizontal in the air. Hold the pose for about 30 seconds, then repeat on the other limb. At least eight repetitions are required for each leg.

Regular muscle tension can cause spasms that will bother you for many years. When blood vessels and nerve fibers are pinched, many internal organs and the brain begin to experience a lack of oxygen and nutrients, which negatively affects human health.

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Performing exercises to relax the abdominal and back muscles does not require much time and effort. It is enough to accustom yourself to daily exercise, and then you will be able to overcome many different health problems. Chronic migraine, intercostal neuralgia, decreased vision and other pathologies will recede if you exercise regularly. Physical activity and water procedures in combination can significantly increase a person’s ability to work and improve his mood.

Exercises for self-relief of tension in the neck and back, part 2.

Often, painful sensations in the neck, shoulders and back are caused by stress, the habit of sitting in the wrong position, and lack of physical activity. In this case, regular muscle stretching exercises can significantly alleviate your condition and even relieve pain forever. Today we are telling you the second part of the exercises that will help you solve this problem.

Thread in a needle pose. Get on all fours. Then begin moving your left hand, palm up, into the space between your right hand and knees, rotating your torso until your head touches the floor. Hold this position for 30-40 seconds, then repeat on the other side. This stretch releases tension in the upper back and between the shoulder blades. All movements should be smooth and soft.

Shoulder rotation. Stand or sit with your back and neck straight. Raise your shoulders up, then lower them back and down, creating a circular motion. Move smoothly, keeping your head pressed to your neck, forming a double chin. This movement relieves tension in the shoulders.

Over-the-shoulder arm stretch. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your left arm across your chest to the right. With your right hand, press your left elbow closer to your body. Stay in this position for 10-20 seconds, then repeat with the other arm. This stretch is not only good for your biceps, but also for your shoulders.

Cow head pose. Raise your left arm straight up, then bend it and put it behind your head. Place your right hand behind your back, reach your left palm with your palm and clasp your hands. Stay in this position for 10 seconds, then free your hands and begin to perform the exercise symmetrically. If you cannot clasp your hands behind your back, use a towel. Hold it with the hand behind your head. Reach the towel with your other hand, creating gentle tension. This stretch works many muscles, including the shoulders.

Arm stretch using a wall. Place your left hand against the wall. The palm may also touch the wall or look at the ceiling. Press your shoulder against the wall. Turn your chest slightly away from the wall, creating a gentle stretch. Hold this pose for 30-40 seconds and repeat with the other arm. This stretch is great for reducing shoulder tension.

Double front shoulder stretch. Stand up straight. Clasp your hands behind your back. Raise your arms until you feel a stretch. Hold this pose for 30–40 seconds, repeat 3 times. If you need an even deeper stretch, you can lean forward. This is a very intense stretch designed to relax the shoulders.

Be healthy!

Based on ADME materials: https://www.adme.ru/svoboda-sdelaj-sam/11-uprazhnenij-dlya-snyatiya-napryazheniya-v-shee-i-plechah-1960965/

A set of exercises to relax facial muscles

In addition to exercises to relax your body muscles, it is important to take care of your face. Daily training and relaxation of the muscles of the cheekbones, cheeks and forehead will help improve blood circulation, reduce wrinkles and tone the skin.

If you don’t know which exercises to relax your facial muscles are right for you, we suggest using the following complex. It should be performed in a calm, relaxed state. It is important to monitor your breathing during exercise so that it always remains slow and deep. Feel the state of relaxation in the areas you are working on.

Before class, take the most comfortable position.

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Cheek exercises

• Inhale and with your eyes closed, try to raise your eyebrows as high as possible. Hold this position for a few seconds and exhale, lowering your eyebrows. Next, complete relaxation and repeat the exercise.
• Taking a deep breath, strongly tense the wings of your nose. Then exhale and relax. Repeat several times.
• Open your mouth slightly and lift one corner of it up (you will get a “crooked” smile). Hold the grimace for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat these steps on the other half of your face.
• Wink your eyes alternately.
• Wrinkle your face tightly, hold this position for a few seconds, then relax.
• Using your fingers, slowly pull your upper lip down. Without releasing your grip, try to smile. You will see how your cheeks tense up.

Eye exercises

• Inhale and close your eyes. Slowly strain your eyes harder and harder until you close your eyes. Hold this position for a few seconds, then exhale and relax. Repeat several times.
• Perform circular movements with your eyes while keeping your head still. It is necessary to make three to five circles in each direction.
• When looking straight, fix the level position of your head. Next, without changing it, look up and down. Repeat several times.
• The starting position is the same as in the previous exercise, but the gaze moves not up and down, but right and left. Several repetitions are also necessary.

Exercises for the mouth muscles

• Perform the “air kiss” several times: curl your lips into a tube and imitate a kiss.
• Pronounce the sounds “a-a-a”, “o-o-o”, “u-u-u”, “uh-uh”, “i-i-i”, “y-y-y” in a drawn-out manner. , actively articulating in accordance with them.
• Open your mouth slightly and try to turn your lips inward. Maintain the position for a few seconds, then relax. Several repetitions are required.
• Smile with your mouth closed, first with the right, then with the left, then with both sides of your mouth at once. Repeat several times.
• Open your mouth slightly and firmly pull one corner to the side. Repeat the same movement on the other side of your mouth.
• Fix the corners of your mouth with your fingers and then smile through resistance. Repeat at least 20 times.