If you're wondering how to relax your muscles after a workout, there are many ways to do it and everyone is at your fingertips. You can use an exercise mat, a self-massage roller or the benefits of breath! Check how to quickly relax tense muscles and learn about relaxing exercises.

Do you regularly train in the gym and do sports? Great! But do you rememberrelaxing your muscles ? Systematic exercise brings a lot of good to our body, but if we omit the element of relaxing or stretching in training, sooner or later it will lead to dangerous injuries and permanent injuries.

Relaxing your musclesis also an exercise! Maybe you won't sweat with them like when running on a treadmill or bench press, but you will do a lot of good for your body and body! Training is not only about pouring sweats in the gym - check out our relaxation training that will regenerate and relax your muscles!

When should you relax your muscles?

In order for a muscle to work properly, it must maintain its full range of motion. Training and strength exercises are recommended for everyone, but when we forget to regularly relax muscles, we bring them painful tensions and impair the entire musculoskeletal system.

A relaxed and active, strong muscle is a he althy muscle, so we should remember to do a few relaxing exercises after each training session and bring our musculoskeletal system into balance.

Tense muscles should be relaxed especially when:

  • we feel stinging or pulling pain in or around a given muscle
  • we feel unpleasant jumping and shooting of a joint in the area of ​​a given muscle
  • we lost mobility and full range of motion in the pond
  • we have a decrease in strength and endurance
  • we feel chronic fatigue and have difficulty moving

There are many techniques of self-massage and muscle relaxation, and these are the most effective of them:

  • rolling on a roller
  • stretching exercises
  • breathing exercises

Each of these forms of muscle relaxation will certainly be effective, but it's worth choosing the right technique for you. Rolling is nothing more than a substitute for the hand of a masseur or physiotherapist.The roller nourishes the tissues, improves circulation, relaxes tense muscles and breaks down trigger points, accelerating their regeneration and improving mobility. The roller is recommended for those who often experience soreness and feel clear blockages in the muscles and joints.

Stretching exercises should be used carefully and in moderation. Contrary to popular belief, stretching is not recommended for everyone! Our muscles tense defensively and often because they are weak. Stretching them will cause even greater weakness and may lead to unpleasant injuries within a given joint.

However, in some cases stretching is advisable, e.g. in case of neck pains by working at the computer. Then stretching the front of the neck and strengthening the back will be appropriate. We should also remember that if we are already stretching regularly, we must also strengthen the parts we are stretching in the new range of motion.

Breathing exercises are recommended to everyone. Breathing is one of the most important functions in life. If we do not train our breathing our respiratory muscles are inactive, which leads to permanent tensions and causes inefficient functioning of these muscles. Moreover, breathing is a great way to relax and unwind. Breathing skillfull can reduce pain, soothe nerves, relax muscles, improve mood and remove blockages in the body.

Why do we relax our muscles?

Tense muscles are no good - a muscle works properly and is efficient only if we maintain its natural length and mobility. Relaxing exercises are offered not only by physiotherapists, but also by personal trainers and fitness trainers.

Movement equals he alth and it's great that sport has become our passion these days, but apart from exercise, we also need to remember to relax and regenerate properly after training. Relaxing the muscles will prevent us from developing painful tensions, muscle damage and a large amount of stress accumulating in the soft tissues.

Muscle relaxation exercises should be performed regularly, preferably several of them immediately after each training or intense physical activity, and longer relaxation exercises should be done at least once a week.

Post-workout muscle relaxation exercises

Perform a set of exercises for relaxing muscles after training at least twice a week, and the exercises you choose from the following set after each training.

1. Lie down on the mat with your knees bent and your arms wide at the sides of your body. The palms should be facing upwards. Try not to tense any part of your body and relax your muscles.

In this position, breathe deeply with the diaphragm,located in the area of ​​the lower ribs, and slowly exhales gently. Try to make your torso fill with air like a barrel - perform 360 degree breath.

You should inhale for approximately 4 seconds and exhale for 6 to 8 seconds. As you inhale the air, let it travel all over your torso and direct it towards your lower spine, and as you exhale, imagine your ribs drooping downwards, as if you want to stick them to your spine and point them towards your pelvis.

Exercise duration: 2-3 minutes.

2. Sit on a chair and bring your clasped hands out in front of you. Turn them inside out. Straighten the spine, especially the lumbar region, and gently bend the upper spine to form a slight hump at this point. Begin breathing in the area of ​​the bend. Follow the breath as in exercise 1.

Take four deep breaths, then relax and take 4 normal breaths as you like and take the position again.

Now go more to the left to stretch the right side - but don't forget about the straight lumbar region. In this setting, take 4 breaths again to the area that is stretching, which in this case is the right side, and again come back to the relaxed position where you take 4 normal breaths again.

Then repeat the exercise on the other side - this time bending to the right and stretching the ribs and the side on the left.

Exercise duration: two series on each side.

3. Get on the propped kneeling position - it's time for the familiar yoga practice of a cow and a cat. The hands should be above the shoulders and the knees should be parallel to about hip width.

Remember to gently push yourself off the mat with your hands and do not hang on your shoulder blades. In this position, point your stomach towards the mat, firmly arching your spine and tilting your head back. Take a deep breath when taking the position.

Then push off the mat and direct your spine towards the ceiling as you exhale loudly and gently tense your abs. Hold your breath for a few seconds in each position.

Exercise duration: 1 minute.

4. Lie on your back. Bend your leg at the knee and pull it towards your chest. The other leg should rest loosely on the mat. To completely relax the buttock and hips, move your knee in different directions, in and out.

In this position, breathe calmly and relaxing, remembering that the exhalation should be longer than the inhalation. Also, don't forget to hold your air after exhaling for two or three seconds. Thisbetter oxygenates you and prevents hyperventilation. Perform the exercise on both legs.

Exercise duration: 30 seconds per leg.

5. Lie on your back with your leg towards your chest, as in Exercise 4. Then twist your knee inward until it touches the mat. Place your arms to your sides and allow your hands to rest freely on the mat, stretching your chest and hips.

The head should be turned in the opposite direction to the knee - this will additionally stretch the nape and neck. If you can't touch your knee to the ground and your hand to the mat, don't worry, with time you will gain more and more range of motion. Do the exercises on both sides.

Exercise duration: 30 seconds per page.

6. Lie down on the mat and bring both knees up to your chest. In this position, start swinging sideways, self-massage the spine, especially the lumbar region. You can also rock back and forth to make a cradle. Exercise duration: 45 seconds.

7. Lie down on the mat and bend your legs at the knees. Aim them at your chest, place them to the sides, grab your feet and pull your knees up to the mat. The position should resemble the one in which small children swing. Gently make the cradle with your knees to the sides and down. Keep your toes upturned for this exercise.

Exercise duration: 30 seconds.

8. Rest your hands on the mat and push off the mat with your hips up - it's time for the dog with his head down. Keep your shoulders away from your ears, keep your spine straight, and keep your buttocks down. Feet should be paralleled and knees slightly outward.

If you can't put your whole foot on the mat and straighten your knees, don't worry, your mobility will improve over time. Take deep diaphragmatic breaths in this position.

Exercise duration: 30 seconds.

9. Lie on your stomach, put your hands under your shoulders, and make a cobra. Push off the mat as much as you can and pull upwards. The head should be upturned, the elbows should be close to the body and the feet should be on the mat all the time - keep them slightly taut. Stretch your abs and chest muscles as you take deep breaths towards these parts of your body.

Exercise duration: 30 seconds.

10. Do a Japanese sit down and sit with your buttocks on your feet. Reach your arms far forward and relax your spine. You can put your knees to the sides and additionally relax the inner parts of your thighs. Breathe into the lumbar region and feel the pleasant warmth spread over it.

Exercise duration: 30 seconds.

11. Finally, savasana - the best relaxation position for every yogi!Lie on the mat with your arms and legs wide apart - palms facing the ceiling. This time, add a visualization to savasana.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself releasing tension from each part of your body in turn. Start with the head - the muscles of the face and neck. Imagine it getting pleasantly heavy and sinking towards the ground. Let them relax and feel the warmth spreading around these parts, healing and healing them.

Then go to the shoulders and chest muscles. Take a look at these places and let go of all tension, feeling a pleasant relief and relaxation. Calm and loose breathing will help you in this. Visualize the following parts of the body: abdomen, spine, buttocks, pelvis, thighs, knees, calves, feet and hands.

Exercise duration: as many as you need!

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ABC of exercises