Are you often tense, have a stiff neck and back pain? If the muscles are tense, this puts a strain on the entire musculoskeletal system. Hardly any position – sitting, standing, lying – is more comfortable. Muscles that are constantly tight can become tight and cause pain.
Stress and mental illness are often behind the tension. But a lack of exercise, excessive sitting or sleep disorders can also cause the muscles to cramp.
But how can cramped muscles be relaxed? It is important to identify and treat the causes of the symptoms. However, there are a variety of exercises and home remedies that can help you relax yourself and your muscles.
Muscle relaxation: exercises and techniques
There are many ways to relax tense muscles. From yoga to tai chi and qigong to meditation , autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation.
Which techniques you prefer depends mainly on whether you prefer to move actively or feel with your mind in your body or how easy the latter is for you.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
The concept of progressive muscle relaxation has been particularly well researched and is also used therapeutically. It is based on the conscious tensing and relaxing of individual muscle groups. The technique is easy to learn and forms a good mixture of active physical activity and mental “feeling”.
Here’s how progressive muscle relaxation works: Sit or lie down comfortably. Gradually tense different muscle groups for a few seconds and then relax them again. For example, start on the face and tense your forehead, eyebrows, lips and lower jaw in a targeted manner in order to then enjoy the relaxation. Walk through your body from top to bottom: face, arms and hands, chest, back and stomach to legs and feet.
During the exercises you focus your concentration on the respective body regions and in this way learn to feel the difference between normal tension and cramps. If you do the exercises correctly, the relaxation of the muscles will be transmitted to the whole body, blood pressure, pulse and breathing.
First, as many muscle groups as possible can be worked on in a long variant (e.g. jaw, forehead, eyes). These can then be combined (e.g. face). In this way, the exercises are easier to incorporate into everyday life because they take less time.
Relaxed muscles through movement
If you want to relax, you have to move. Compensatory exercises that use muscle groups and parts of the body that are neglected in everyday life are particularly suitable. For example, if you spend a lot of time in front of a screen, stretching and stretching your neck, shoulders, and back can help relieve cramps.
Which sports are also suitable depends on which body regions are affected by the cramps. The focus should always be on strengthening the affected muscle groups in order to avoid tension in the long term. Back problems can be improved, for example, with backstroke swimming, cycling or Nordic walking.
It is important to integrate exercise into your everyday life. For example, bike or walk to work, take a walk during your lunch break, and stretch at your desk. Especially when time is short, lots of short exercise sessions throughout the day can make a big difference.
In persistent cases, you should also consult your doctor, who can prescribe sessions with a physiotherapist if necessary. This can help you to correct poor posture and relieve your muscles.
Relax muscles: home remedies
In the case of acute tension, you can also try to relieve your symptoms with home remedies.
- Heat : The number one home remedy for tension is heat. You can apply this to the affected parts of the body using a hot water bottle or a cherry stone pillow.
- Full bath : A full bath is ideal for full-body relaxation that also provides warmth and a relaxing feeling of weightlessness. Use a pleasantly scented oil, such as lavender, keep it at the right temperature for you, and support your neck with a pillow. Close your eyes and focus on relaxing your muscles. Don’t be distracted by cell phones, tablets and the like!
- Magnesium : The mineral contributes to normal muscle function. Many athletes therefore use magnesium to prevent cramps. Also, eat enough magnesium-rich foods like pumpkin seeds, almonds, bananas, and chickpeas to support muscle activity. A dietary supplement containing magnesium is also suitable as an alternative.
- Valerian root : As a tea or extract, valerian can help relieve restlessness and muscle tension.
- Massages and Acupuncture : Try a treatment from a professional massage therapist or a doctor trained in acupuncture. These methods can help you release deep tension.