What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation?

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a method of stress reduction that is achieved by first tensing and then relaxing a muscle group. It can be used to help relieve tension in the body, reduce stress and improve wellbeing.

It takes just 10-15 minutes to perform PMR, and it can be done almost anywhere. Simply find somewhere comfortable and quiet where you can either sit or lie down and relieve the built-up tension throughout your body.

How to Perform PMR

Here is an easy step-by-step guide to PMR:

Lie on the floor in a peaceful place, wearing loose clothing
Rest your hands on your stomach and take three slow, deep breaths to bring your heart rate down
Focus on each area of your body, one at a time, starting with your forehead and finishing at your feet
As you focus on each area of your body, squeeze the muscles as hard as you can for five seconds without hurting yourself
After you have tensed the muscles for five seconds, stop squeezing them and enable the muscles to return to a relaxed state. They should feel looser and less tense than when you started

You can perform PMR whenever and wherever you like. If you think you’d find it easier to follow somebody else’s guidance, you can use a voice recording or video.

Here is a quick guide on how to tense each muscle group during PMR

Forehead - wrinkle it up into a frown
Shoulders - shrug your shoulders by tensing your traps
Chest - take deep breaths to expand your chest
Biceps - bend your arms at the elbow and bring your hands up to your chest as you would in a bicep curl
Hands - clench your fists
Wrists - extend and flex them
Hips and glutes - squeeze your buttocks tightly together
Thighs - tense your thighs by contracting your quadriceps
Feet - point your toes up and down and scrunch them into the floor