The key to relaxing those tense muscles is to tense them. No, that isn’t a typo or mistake – if you want to relax tense muscles you should tense them as hard as you can. Let me explain. When you tense or flex a muscle you cause it to expand and tighten. That means when you release the tension it will loosen, making it feel nice and relaxed.

You can try it right now by following these simple instructions.

1. Get yourself in a position where the tense, tight muscle can be flexed. Most of the time the best way to do this is to be stood up.

2. Breathe in deeply through your nose and slowly tense the offending muscle until it is as “hard” as you can get it. Hold the muscle right there for a couple of seconds.

3. Now breathe out through your nose and gradually loosen the flexed muscle until it returns to it’s normal state.

4. Repeat this exercise until the muscle feels completely relaxed and free of tension. Typically this takes five repetitions.

That is how to relax tense muscles.

An added bonus of this exercise is that it will also improve the density and flexibility of your muscles. I often relax my muscles in this way in the early afternoon and it keeps me feeling loose and relaxed for the rest of the day.