Stress Management: Progressive Muscle Relaxation

What is progressive muscle relaxation?

Progressive muscle relaxation is a way to quiet your body and calm your mind. It can help you deal with stress, anxiety, and the pressures of everyday life.

Focusing on tightening and then relaxing your muscles makes it harder to think about stressful problems and events. Progressive muscle relaxation is also a way to relax muscles that are always tense from chronic stress.

When you do these exercises you focus on specific muscle groups, one at a time. You tense and relax each group while you breathe slowly and deeply. You can buy audio programs at many bookstores that teach this technique.

How do I do this exercise?

Before doing this exercise, check with your healthcare provider if you have had muscle spasms, back problems, or other serious injury to your muscles or bones.

1. Lie down or sit in a comfortable chair with your back straight, head in line with your spine, both feet on the floor, and hands resting on your lap.
2. Tighten each muscle group and keep it tightened for 5 to 10 seconds. Then relax slowly and keep the muscle relaxed for about 10 seconds. Notice the difference between tension and relaxation. You can start at the head and work down the body or start at the feet and work up. The muscle groups to tighten and relax are:
   • Forehead and scalp: Lift your eyebrows up as far as you can, as though you are surprised.
   • Eyes: Shut your eyelids tightly.
   • Mouth and Jaws: Open your mouth wide, as though you are yawning.
   • Neck and shoulders: Raise your shoulders as though to touch your ears.
   • Arm: Bring your forearm up towards your shoulder and make a muscle.
   • Hands: Make a fist.
   • Chest: Breath in deeply and fill your lungs with air.
   • Stomach: Suck in your stomach.
   • Back: Push your shoulder blades back as if trying to touch them together.
   • Buttocks: Squeeze your buttocks together.
   • Thighs: Tighten your thigh.
   • Lower leg: Slowly and carefully pull your toes towards you to stretch your calf muscle.
   • Feet: Curl your toes downwards.

Exercise all muscle groups twice a day. Each exercise session should last 12 to 15 minutes. You may find it helpful to learn from an instructor, take a class, or check online for videos or audio downloads.