Muscle Relaxation: Reduce the Stress of Weight Loss Surgery
When stressful days add up, they can cause big problems for your progress with JSAPA Weight Loss Surgery. Too much stress can pack on extra calories with bad habits like emotional eating and disrupt your motivation to stick with healthy habits. Because of this, it helps to learn ways to manage your stress levels after weight loss surgery.
One highly effective stress management technique is called progressive muscle relaxation. Like deep breathing, just about anyone can master progressive muscle relaxation—the only tool you need is your own body. If practiced regularly, this one trick can make a huge difference in your stress levels.
The concept is fairly simple: sit or lie down in a quiet, comfortable area and slowly flex and relax each of your muscles in succession. You’ll hold the flex in each muscle for about 20 seconds before releasing it for 10, focusing intently on the feeling of tension ebbing out of your body.
Until you memorize the process, use this list to walk through each of your muscles from head to toe:
- Head. Crease your forehead by raising your eyebrows. Relax. Tightly clench your eyelids shut. Relax. Wrinkle up your nose. Relax. Hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Relax. Clench your jaw. Relax.
- Body. Bend your neck and hold your chin down toward your chest. Relax. Arch your back. Relax. Fill your chest by holding in a deep breath. Relax. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Relax.
- Limbs. Tense your bicep muscles. Relax. Ball up your hands into tight fists. Relax. Flex your calves by pushing down on the ground. Relax. Point your toes up to the ceiling. Relax.
Because progressive muscle relaxation takes about 15 minutes to do correctly, it may not be convenient when you need to reduce stress in the moment, but doing it frequently can help you greatly reduce your overall stress levels. Try doing progressive muscle relaxation one to two times every day and be sure to not rush through the steps. In about two weeks, you’ll be a master and will likely notice an improvement in your stress.
Progressive muscle relaxation works best when used in conjunction with other stress management strategies. What else has helped you reduce your stress levels after weight loss surgery in Valdosta or Jacksonville? Tell us in the comments below!