Relaxation is not only good for your mental health, but also for your physical health. Studies have shown that stress can interfere with your metabolism, appetite, and fat storage, making it harder to lose weight. Stress can also affect your muscle growth, recovery, and performance, by increasing inflammation, cortisol levels, and muscle breakdown². Therefore, if you want to achieve your fitness goals, you need to find ways to relax your mind and body.
Here are some of the best relaxation techniques that can help you lose weight and gain muscle:
- Deep breathing. Deep breathing is a simple but effective way to calm your nervous system and reduce stress. It can also improve your blood circulation, oxygen delivery, and energy levels, which can enhance your exercise performance and recovery. To practice deep breathing, you can follow these steps:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, with your eyes closed or focused on a point.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose, filling your abdomen and then your chest with air.
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth, emptying your chest and then your abdomen.
- Repeat this cycle for 5 to 10 minutes, or as long as you feel comfortable.
- Progressive muscle relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique that involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in a systematic way. It can help you release muscle tension, pain, and stiffness, as well as improve your body awareness and sleep quality. To practice PMR, you can follow these steps:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, with your eyes closed or focused on a point.
- Start with your feet and work your way up to your face, or vice versa.
- For each muscle group, tense it as hard as you can for 5 to 10 seconds, then relax it completely for 10 to 20 seconds.
- Notice the difference between the sensations of tension and relaxation.
- Repeat this process for each muscle group, or until you feel fully relaxed.
- Meditation. Meditation is a practice that involves focusing your attention on a single object, such as your breath, a word, a sound, or a sensation. It can help you reduce stress, anxiety, and negative emotions, as well as improve your mood, concentration, and self-control. Meditation can also boost your metabolism, immune system, and hormone balance, which can support your weight loss and muscle gain efforts. To practice meditation, you can follow these steps:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, with your eyes closed or slightly open.
- Choose an object of focus, such as your breath, a word, a sound, or a sensation.
- Bring your attention to the object, and observe it without judgment or distraction.
- If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the object.
- Continue this practice for 10 to 20 minutes, or as long as you feel comfortable.
- Visualization. Visualization is a technique that involves imagining a positive scenario, such as achieving your fitness goal, performing well in a sport, or relaxing in a beautiful place. It can help you increase your motivation, confidence, and self-efficacy, as well as reduce your stress, fear, and anxiety. Visualization can also activate your brain and body in ways that mimic the actual experience, which can enhance your learning and performance. To practice visualization, you can follow these steps:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, with your eyes closed or focused on a point.
- Choose a scenario that you want to visualize, such as achieving your fitness goal, performing well in a sport, or relaxing in a beautiful place.
- Use all your senses to create a vivid and realistic image of the scenario in your mind.
- Feel the emotions and sensations that you would experience in the scenario, such as joy, pride, satisfaction, or calmness.
- Repeat this practice for 5 to 10 minutes, or as long as you feel comfortable.
These are some of the best relaxation techniques that can help you lose weight and gain muscle. You can choose one or more of these options, depending on your preferences and availability. Remember to practice them regularly, and to combine them with a healthy diet and exercise routine, to achieve optimal results.