It is now well known that practicing sports is not just about learning a discipline or improving one’s physical shape. Training is a habit that the body and mind benefit from 360 degrees. For example, not even the most regular gym-goers often know about Progressive Muscle Relaxation. This apparently complicated name hides a real training protocol, coined by the American physician and physiologist Edmund Jacobson in 1959. Few people know that this training is specifically used to combat anxiety and stress in half an hour or so. The purpose of this protocol is to activate the parasympathetic system and, at the same time, to counteract the orthosympathetic one, set in motion by stress. Let’s see below what this training consists of that can really change our lives for the better.
Few people know that this workout is purposely for fighting anxiety and stress in half an hour
The method developed by Jacobson is somewhat in contrast to other relaxation techniques, such as autogenic training. An advantage of this methodology is that it can be practiced anywhere, without the need for equipment.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation is divided into two basic types. The first is called the general form and involves all parts of the body. The second is called differential relaxation and, as can be guessed, focuses on certain muscle groups. In the first years after its birth, the method was designed for much longer training sessions. Today, however, the most avant-garde theories on Progressive Muscle Relaxation say that the time required for each session is 30, maximum 45 minutes. It is important, however, not to let more than four days pass between one training session and another. Equally important is to find a calm environment, to put ourselves in a position to be as relaxed as possible (a good tip is to wear comfortable clothes). Now let’s see what Jacobson’s method actually consists of.
What are the exercises of Jacobson’s method
The best way to understand Jacobson’s method is to find tutorials on the net, which show the exercises step by step. Either way, it is a workout focused on maximum muscle stretching. It tends to start from the legs, including the toes. We need to keep the postures between 2 and 6 seconds, depending on our level of training. We then move on to the buttocks, abdomen, trunk, back and so on up to the face (including eyelids). Trying the method can really turn our lives upside down. It will help us live better by keeping the mind healthy, not just the body.
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