Relaxation Exercises

Relaxation exercises can help you relieve stress, encourage relaxation, and may greatly improve your health and well-being. It is extremely important to find ways to introduce more relaxation into your everyday life. If you don’t learn to manage stress, stress will manage you. And if left unchecked; stress can be draining, cause anxiety, and even trigger health issues.

Easy Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation exercises rank high among the most effective ways to relieve stress. The relaxation exercises below can work wonders on the stress knots in your shoulders and neck regions, and may even be effective against certain stress headaches. These exercises are also great because they are not strenuous. Each position is very easy to perform, can induce relaxation, relieve tension, and may also provide instant stress relief.

Relaxation Exercises #1 – Legs Across Chair

Begin by getting a chair. Now lie on your back on the floor, and place your legs across the seat in a sideways position. Make sure the chair is right up against the bend in your knees. This relaxation exercise provides stress relief to your lower back. It also allows your whole body to let go of tension and begin to relax. Slow down your breathing too. Breathe slowly in and out through your nose. If you want to go deep with this relaxation exercise, try covering your eyes with a moist warm towel. Stay in this position for several minutes. Try ten to fifteen minutes to enjoy the full benefits.

Legs Across the Chair Relaxation Exercise — **Legs Across the Chair**

Relaxation Exercises #2 – Legs Against Wall

Next, put the chair aside, move your buttocks up to the base of a wall, and extend your legs straight up the wall. Make sure your bottom is as close to the base of the wall as possible, and that the small of your back is flat against the floor. You can place your arms straight out on either side or just keep them by your sides. Again, keep your breathing slow, or do some breathing exercises. This position gets your blood flowing and helps the body release stress.

Legs Against the Wall Relaxation Exercise — **Legs Against the Wall**

Relaxation Exercises #3 – Knees Into Chest

Now bend your knees and bring them close to your chest. Hold your legs to your chest with your hands if you can. That helps stretch the lower back. If holding your knees close to your chest is not relaxing for you, just keep your knees in a bent position as close to your chest as possible. Close your eyes, breathe in through your nose, and breathe out through your mouth. Slow breathing is important here to help keep your body from tensing up.

Knees Into Chest Relaxation Exercise — **Knees Into Chest**

Relaxation Exercises #4 – Blanket Under Shoulders

Now here’s the last of the relaxation exercises and it’s the best. Slowly move away from the wall. Don’t jump up quickly. Instead, roll over on your side, and use your hands to push yourself up into a sitting position. Now take a blanket, towel, or cloth and roll it into the shape of a log. Place it on the floor and lay back on the cloth so that it’s horizontally straight across your shoulder blades. This is a great shoulder relaxation exercise. It stretches out your shoulder blades and opens up your chest. This feels great after hunching over a computer all day and helps to release the stress knots in your shoulders, and other tensions that can form in your neck and back regions.

Blanket Under Shoulders Relaxation Exercise — **Blanket Under Shoulders**

Finish Up Easy

There you have it. Simple, easy, and effective relaxation exercises to help relieve stress. Remember, when you’re done, don’t get up quickly. Roll over on your side, use your hands and arms to push yourself up into a sitting position, and then continue to get up slowly. Do any or all of the relaxation exercises separately, or in the order demonstrated.

The key to finding true relaxation is finding your balance. If you are used to a hectic lifestyle you may feel that relaxing might make you lose your edge. You may also be addicted to the effects of adrenaline, and find it problematic to relax. But remember your body cannot remain on high alert all the time. It will eventually lead to burnout and encourage physical ailments.

Bookmark this site and share these relaxation exercises with your friends. Check your signs of stress here, for stress relief tips click here, and to relieve stress coupled with depression visit our light therapy page. To bathe your stress away visit our Epsom salt page. You can also visit our self-hypnosis page or play our stress relief game.

Allow the professionals you’ll find among our link partners to help you change the messages you send yourself to thoughts that heighten your inner peace. Learn the techniques that help you clear your mind and experience the benefits of relaxation through imagery meditation, or discover the stress-relieving body techniques only experienced through the ancient art of yoga.

And remember the videos at Tranquility is Yours are available to give you moments of peace and relaxation when you are unable to break away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life. So visit the video page and the music page and relax with the soothing sights and sounds at Tranquility is Yours.

Also, See:
Psychological Stress – U.S. National Library of Medicine
Harvard Medical School – Relaxation Techniques