How Yoga Helps with Muscle Tension

Most people experience muscle tension at some point in their lives. Whether the problem happens when you overdo it at the gym, spend too many hours in front of the computer, or struggle with a stressful situation, tight, stiff muscles are literally a pain. Looking for a simple, drug-free way to loosen tight muscles? Reducing muscle tension can be as easy as enrolling in a yoga class.

How Muscles Become Tight

Muscles tighten when they're overworked or held in one position for too long. Slouching over your laptop or crouching under your crawl space to repair a leaky pipe may strain muscles, causing them to tighten.

Did your muscle tension start after a workout? Exercising too long or too intensely can strain your muscles. Muscle may remain in a contracted position long after you've finished lifting weights or finishing a boot camp session.

Muscles also tense as the body prepares to handle a difficult situation by fighting or fleeing. Although most stressful situations don't require drastic action, your body's fight-or-flight reaction remains the same whether you're dealing with a difficult customer or running from a bear.

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Psychoneuroendocrinology in 2017, practicing yoga can reduce the amount of the stress hormone cortisol and lower blood pressure and the resting heart rate.

Relieving Muscle Tension with Yoga

Yoga poses stretch tight muscles, helping them relax. As muscles relax, blood flow to your muscles and soft tissues improves. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients needed for healthy muscle function.

Yogic breathing, a key component of your yoga practice, also helps relieve muscle tension. As you perform poses, you'll breathe deeply and synchronize your breathing with your movements. Yogic breathing calms the nervous system and breaks the muscle tension cycle. When you practice yoga regularly, you'll learn how to recognize the first signs of muscle tension and relieve it with a quick breathwork or yoga session.

Poses That Relieve Tension

When your muscles feel tense, try these poses:

• Standing Forward Bend. Recommended by The Yoga Journal to stretch the calves, hips, and hamstrings, this pose offers a simple way to reduce muscle tension. Begin the pose by standing with your feet slightly wider than your hips. Inhale and raise your arms above your head. Exhale and bend forward, aiming your chest toward your thighs. Place your hands on your feet or calves. Keep your legs straight, or bend your knees if that's more comfortable. Inhale and exhale slowly for several counts before returning to an upright position.
• Child's Pose. The child's pose stretches muscles in the hips, shoulders, neck and back. As you kneel on the floor, touch your big toes together. Keep your knees hip's width apart. Lower your upper body to the floor. As you lower your body, place your arms in front of you or keep them by your side. Breathe in and out slowly as you hold the pose for several counts. Place a bolster or cushion under your head if you can't quite touch the floor with your forehead.

During a yoga class, you'll perform a series of poses that work every muscle in your body. The multi-muscle approach keeps your body loose and helps reverse the effects of muscle tension.

How Often to Practice Yoga for Muscle Benefits

A research study published in Frontiers in Public Health in 2021 evaluated the ideal frequency for yoga training. The study followed 49 young women who attended weekly, 90-minute yoga classes over 10 weeks. Thirty-three women were assigned to the control group and didn't practice yoga.

After completing the series, the yoga group showed an increase in flexibility, balance, and core muscle strength compared to the control group. Although more frequent or intense classes would be helpful if you wanted to decrease body fat or body mass index (BMI), a weekly class could help you keep your muscles loose and flexible.

Ready to soothe your muscle tension with yoga? Contact us for information about our slate of popular classes led by experienced instructors.

Sources:

Yoga Journal: The Best Poses to Stretch Sore Muscles, 10/30/2024

https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/yoga-for-athletes/stretch-sore-muscles/

Psychoneuroendocrinology: Yoga, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Stress-Related Physiological Measures: A Meta-Analysis, 12/2017

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28963884/

Frontiers in Public Health: Is Weekly Frequency of Yoga Practice Sufficient? Physiological Effects of Hatha Yoga Among Healthy Novice Women, 10/18/2021

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8559597/

Cleveland Clinic: Muscle Stiffness, 7/20/2023

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25147-muscle-stiffness

Harvard Health: The Importance of Stretching, 4/17/2024

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-of-stretching