How to Relax Your Muscles to Ease Stress and Anxiety

Last updated June 3, 2024.
Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC. Written by Deane Alban.

Learning how to relax muscle tension has been proven effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and panic, and can improve most stress-related conditions.

The result?

Muscles stay permanently tense.

Perversely, muscle tension sends a signal to the brain that there’s danger ahead, eliciting the stress response.

PMR has a long history of use and a substantial body of scientific evidence to support its effectiveness.

This deep relaxation technique has been around since the 1920s.

It was developed by Edmund Jacobson, PhD, MD, a Harvard-trained physician, who is also considered the first practitioner to use biofeedback with his patients. 

PMR involves a two-step process of alternately tensing and relaxing groups of muscles in an exaggerated, systematic way.

" Using progressive muscle relaxation to relax your muscles can help you break the negative cycle of stress and muscle tension.

Jacobson recognized that physical stress and mental stress were interrelated and believed that an anxious mind could not exist in a relaxed body.

Using PMR to relax your muscles can help you break the cycle of stress and muscle tension.

Proven Benefits of Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation lets you relax your muscles and put yourself into a state of deep relaxation at will.

This makes it beneficial for any condition with a stress-related component.

Since an estimated 90% of doctors’ visits are for stress-related complaints, this covers a lot of territory! 

Progressive muscle relaxation has been proven to help the following common mental and physical health complaints.

1. Relaxing Your Muscles Helps Anxiety and Panic

If you have anxiety, you’ve probably gotten used to having tight muscles.

By addressing the root cause of muscle tension, progressive relaxation is highly effective at alleviating a variety of anxiety and panic disorders. 

2. Muscle Relaxation for Insomnia

If you have insomnia, progressive muscle relaxation can help in two ways.

It relaxes your body when you can’t sleep because you’re physically restless.

And it focuses and calms your mind when racing thoughts keep you awake.

Progressive muscle relaxation helps those who use it fall asleep an average of 30 minutes faster. 

It can also help you sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed.

Renowned sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, says that progressive muscle relaxation is one of his favorite sleep techniques that he teaches to his patients. 

He finds it helps them release physical tension and emotional stress.

Watch the Video

If you have trouble sleeping, listen to Dr. Breus’s guided progressive muscle relaxation exercise for sleep on YouTube.

3. Progressive Relaxation for High Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure, you’ve certainly been told that you need to relax.

There’s merit to this advice since one of the effects of the stress response is a rise in blood pressure.

PMR alters your sympathetic nervous system, causing a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate.

If you take any high blood pressure medications, be sure to talk to your doctor before trying progressive muscle relaxation since it may alter your need for medication. 

PMR is useful for treating some types of chronic pain, including backache, headaches, and arthritis.

Since stress slows down the digestive system, PMR is beneficial for numerous digestive disorders, including ulcers, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. 

When using PMR to treat any serious health condition, consider working with a healthcare professional who is trained in its use.

Muscle Relaxation Exercises to Get Started

There are two main steps in doing progressive muscle relaxation — intentionally tensing muscles and, then, intentionally releasing that tension.

Here’s a quick exercise to give you an idea of how progressive muscle relaxation feels.

Most progressive relaxation technique exercises start with the feet and work their way up to the head, but some do the opposite.

Here’s an example of a typical full-body progressive muscle relaxation sequence.

You can do this mini-exercise in a minute or two anytime you want to de-stress quickly.

Another way to use this mini-session is by doing a quick body scan.

Notice which muscles are feeling tense and do a quick release in just that area.

Using PMR as a Relaxation Warm-Up

Oddly, some people feel more anxious when they first begin meditating or doing relaxation exercises, but muscle relaxation can help with that.

Healthcare professionals often use PMR as a warm-up exercise before employing other relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or biofeedback.

Guided Muscle Relaxation Exercises

Most people find it significantly more relaxing and effective to be guided through this exercise rather than trying to remember it on their own.

This popular app also gives you access to thousands of free guided meditations, music tracks, talks, and courses by some of the biggest names in meditation, including Jack Kornfield, Ram Dass, and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Safety and Cautions

Progressive muscle relaxation is generally considered so safe that even children can do it. 

But if you have a history of muscle spasms or ongoing pain from an injury, talk to your doctor first.

There’s a chance that tensing your muscles too tightly could make your muscle spasms worse.

Also, if you have low blood pressure, get up very slowly after doing this or any other relaxation exercise.

Standing up too quickly could make you feel lightheaded or faint.

Other Proven Ways to Relax Muscle Tension

Progressive muscle relaxation isn’t the only way to relax your muscles.

Here’s a look at a few other ways to relax tight muscles. 

Mind-Body Exercise

Performing mind-body exercises like yoga, tai chi, and qi gong will reduce muscle tension.

So does acupuncture or a form of self-acupressure known as tapping (also known as Emotional Freedom Technique).

Massage or Sauna

Getting a massage or sitting in a sauna are wonderful ways to loosen tight muscles.

Foam Roller

Since few of us have access to a sauna or round-the-clock massage therapist, the next best thing is rolling tight muscles on a foam roller.

You’ll find six exercises to relax your muscles and reduce stress from foam roller expert Lauren Roxburgh on Well and Good.

Relaxing Supplements

Lastly, if you frequently have tight muscles, look into the following relaxing supplements.

Magnesium

Tight muscles and cramps can be a sign of magnesium deficiency.

This mineral is critical for feeling relaxed, but upwards of 75% of Americans have subpar levels. 

This is largely due to chronic stress (which depletes magnesium), eating processed food, and eating foods grown in mineral-depleted soil. 

Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid supplement commonly taken by endurance athletes and bodybuilders to relieve muscle damage, cramps, and soreness.

Taurine stimulates the release and formation of GABA, the brain chemical responsible for feelings of calm and relaxation. 

Kava

Kava is a traditional relaxing drink that originated in the South Pacific.

It’s now available as an herbal remedy that has potent relaxing properties, making it useful for anxiety, stress, and insomnia.

It also works as a natural muscle relaxant. 

Like taurine, kava works, in part, by increasing GABA levels in the brain.

Should You Stretch to Relax Your Muscles?

You may be surprised to learn that the common practice of stretching to loosen tight muscles is controversial.

Research consistently finds that stretching before or after exercise does not loosen tight muscles but, in fact, may diminish muscle function and increase susceptibility to injury.

If you are undecided about whether stretching is right for you, I recommend these articles on the dangers of stretching and reasons not to stretch.