Fit Or Fat: Nutrition and Exercise

I'm Stressed. Can You Teach Me How To Relax?

Posting Date: 06/07/2000

Q: My shoulders are scrunched up, I have knots in my back... can you tell me how to relax?

A: Our bodies respond to stressful thoughts or situations by tensing up our muscles. You can help to relieve this tension and soreness with several techniques. Being able to relax your mind and body will help lower your pulse and breathing rate, reduce tension in your muscles, improve your sleeping, and combat all the effects of long-term stress. Here are some ways to healthfully relieve stress:

• Talk about it with a good friend or your spouse
• Cry
• Express yourself through writing, crafts or art
• Exercise
• Practice relaxation techniques

Now let?s talk about relaxation techniques. Below I have described some common methods: progressive muscle relaxation, relaxation response, and roll breathing.

When learning relaxation skills, you must remove yourself from all outside distractions. Pick a time and place that you won?t be disturbed. Each session should take about 20 minutes. It may take some practice to become familiar with these techniques but you will be happy you did. Once you?ve trained your body and mind to relax you?ll be able to produce the same relaxed state whenever you want.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Tighten each muscle group for 4 to 10 seconds, then give yourself 10 to 20 seconds to release it and relax. You can do the exercises to soothing music or with no sound at all. Pick a place where you can lie down on your back and stretch out comfortably.

Technique:

1. Hands: Clench
2. Wrists and forearms: Extend them and bend the hands back at the wrist
3. Biceps and upper arms: Clench your hands, bend your arms at the elbow and flex biceps
4. Shoulders: Shrug
5. Forehead: Wrinkle into a deep frown
6. Eyes and bridge of nose: Close eyes as tightly as possible
7. Cheeks and jaw: Grin from ear to ear
8. Around the mouth: Press your lips together tightly
9. Back of neck: Press your head back hard
10. Front of neck: Touch your chin to your chest
11. Chest: Take a deep breath and hold it, then exhale
12. Back: Arch your back up and away from the floor
13. Stomach: Suck it into a tight knot
14. Hips and buttocks: Press the buttocks tightly together
15. Hands: Clench them hard
16. Lower legs: Point your toes toward your face as if trying to bring the toes up to your head
17. Lower legs: Point your toes away and curl them downward at the same time

Relaxation Response
The relaxation response is exactly the opposite of the stress response. It slows heart rate and breathing, lowers blood pressure, and helps relieve muscle tension.

Technique:

1. Sit quietly in a comfortable position with your eyes closed.
2. Begin progressive muscle relaxation (previous technique).
3. Become aware of your breathing. Each time you exhale, say the word "one" or any other word or phrase silently or aloud. This is to help clear your mind. If you would rather focus on an object, the effect will be the same. Concentrate on breathing from your abdomen, not your chest. Continue this for 10 to 20 minutes. As distracting thoughts enter your mind, don?t dwell on them just let them drift away.
4. Sit quietly for several minutes until you are ready to open your eyes.
5. Notice the difference in your pulse rate and breathing. Don?t worry about becoming deeply relaxed. The key to this exercise is to remain passive and allow distracting thoughts to drift away. After you become familiar and are comfortable with this technique, you can achieve the relaxation response with little or no effort.

Roll Breathing
The object of roll breathing is to develop full use of your lungs and to get in touch with the rhythm of your breathing. It can be practiced in any position, but it is best learned by lying on your back, with your knees bent.

Technique:

1. Place your left hand on your abdomen and your right hand on your chest. Notice how your hands move as you breathe in and out.
2. Practice filling your lungs by breathing so that your left hand goes up when you inhale and your right hand remains still. Always inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
3. When you have filled and emptied your lower lungs 8 to 10 times, add the second step to your breathing: inhale first into your lower lungs as before, and then continue inhaling into your upper chest. As you do so, your right hand will rise and your left hand will fall a little as your abdomen falls.
4. As you exhale slowly through your mouth, make a quiet, whooshing sound as first your left hand falls and then your right hand falls. As you exhale, feel the tension leave your body as you become more relaxed.
5. Practice breathing in and out in this manner for three to five minutes. Notice that the movement of your abdomen and chest is like rolling waves rising and falling in a rhythmic motion.

Caution: Some people get dizzy the first few times they try roll breathing. If you begin to hyperventilate or become lightheaded, slow your breathing. Get up slowly.

Use your body to soothe your mind and use your mind to soothe your body.

How do you relax? Visit Communities to share your ideas in the Mind/Body discussion.

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