10 Difficulties Of Relaxation Exercises

Breathing and relaxation exercises are great allies to fight various types of disorders. Furthermore, they are also useful in the daily lives of many people who use these tools on a daily basis. The gains are immense, but the difficulties of relaxation exercises and the obstacles that impede their execution also exist.

Because of them, there are many who do not reach their goal: to reduce psychophysiological activation. When someone practices Jacobson progressive muscle relaxation or Schultz autogenous training, some of these problems may arise that we’ll discuss next.

What is progressive muscle relaxation?

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique developed by Jacobson, whose background is found in Eastern philosophies, meditation, and yoga.

Its main purpose is to reduce activation which allows for general relaxation. Treating the organism as a whole, this technique infers that, by relaxing the different muscles, the organism sends signals to our brain, leading it to promote total relaxation.

Main objective of relaxation exercises: deactivation of the sympathetic system

The nervous system has two distinct areas: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic is related to activation, while the parasympathetic is related to relaxation.

These two areas cannot be activated at the same time as it is impossible to be tense and relaxed at the same time.

The goal of progressive muscle relaxation is therefore to deactivate the sympathetic system to activate the parasympathetic system. The most important effects caused by relaxation are decreased muscle tone and slower breathing.

relaxation training

For progressive muscle relaxation to work, frequent training is needed (it’s about getting automation).

Training consists of exercises in which muscles are relaxed and tensed, one by one, for several seconds, following a chain of muscle groups. First the arms relax, then the face, neck, stomach and legs.

The ultimate goal is that, in order to relax, a person no longer needs to perform tension-strain exercises. When you feel tension in your muscles because you are nervous or anxious, your muscles may automatically relax as you learn the training.

In this training, however, problems can arise that hinder the acquisition of learning or that lead the person to think that the exercises are useless and stop training.

Often, both in the training session and in everyday life, it is convenient for the person to relax in order to satisfactorily perform their daily tasks and achieve their goals. In light of this scenario, we list below the main difficulties associated with relaxation exercises.

It is important to keep them in mind in order to correct them, and also so that we are not overtaken by obstacles. There are body reactions that, although they seem strange, become normal when subjected to these relaxation exercises.

Main difficulties of relaxation exercises

Intrusions during practice

Below we will talk about some difficulties of the practice itself:

• Difficulty concentrating on the exercises: The relaxation situation can be awkward for the person, and it is not uncommon that, at first, because it is such a low level of stimulation, it is difficult to carry out. It is recommended not to abandon training. Gradually, the “artificial” will become “natural”.
• Movements : movements in the chair or bed are often very common. If they help the person settle down, lean back, they will have no influence on getting the desired result. On the other hand, when these movements continue to happen, it means that the person is not relaxing.
• Constant and disturbing thoughts: although the ideal is to practice cognitive control before relaxation, this order is often not respected. To avoid these thoughts, we can condition relaxation on quiet sounds that allow us to calm them down. It is also very helpful, in training or group therapy, for it to be the therapist’s own voice that keeps the focus on the task. Mindfulness exercises are also very helpful in avoiding disturbing thoughts.

feeling of shame

These are some difficulties in the form of subjective sensations that practice can generate:

• Fear of closing your eyes: There are certain people who do not want to close their eyes during relaxation, especially when they are being coached or when they are training in a group. This also occurs in homes where it is difficult to be alone for a certain amount of time. This is related to fear of loss of control. It is important to understand that closing your eyes is important in order not to be distracted by the outside. Specifying a few hours of the day not to be disturbed can release a person from the fear of not having control over who can enter the environment.
• Withdrawal from performing some exercises: If training is not performed at home, or is performed in therapy, it is possible that the person may feel embarrassed when performing certain tension-extension exercises. This can be remedied if the therapist performs the exercises with the client without any objection. Therefore, it is recommended that at the beginning the exercises are carried out away from furtive eyes if the person feels ashamed or shy.

• Laughter or conversation: Due to the discomfort many people feel when they are silent, they may laugh during exercises or talk loudly, or even with others if the training is in a group or session. It is recommended to hold back laughter and words because they can break the dynamic of relaxation, and what has been done so far will do no good. If that happens, the therapist should extinguish this behavior, and if that doesn’t work, comment it out objectively and without reinforcement.

Other unwanted sensations

• Dizziness:  Sometimes a person may feel dizzy when training is done lying down. This can be resolved by changing posture and getting more upright.
• Spasms and tics: These usually occur when there is a high degree of initial tension. They are a good sign as they mean that relaxation is working.

• Muscle Cramps: Cramps can occur mainly in the calves and feet. If these areas become problematic, it is advisable to reduce the tension seconds and extend the relaxation time. It is also important not to relate relaxation to the feeling of these cramps. If they are too strong, it’s best to walk a few minutes before practicing again. It can be counterproductive to stop and not repeat the exercises.
• Internal activation (excitement): there are certain muscles uncontrollable to the human will. Muscle relaxation only affects those under our control. However, it is important to keep in mind that these systems are interrelated and that, with the practice of relaxation, inner stretching will also be achieved. Therefore, feeling internal tension at first, even if the muscles are relaxed, is normal.

Normalization of strange sensations to face the difficulties of relaxation exercises

On many occasions, these difficulties will disrupt the day’s training. They can even frighten those who feel undesirable consequences arising from this relaxation.

It’s okay if you can’t overcome a difficulty at a given time if you keep working on it.

Finally, regarding the strange sensations, you should consider them to be normal. Gradually, as the body gets used to the relaxation exercises, they disappear.

They shouldn’t be a cause for discouragement or an inspiration for thoughts that indicate we’re doing everything wrong.

At no point, even if it is complicated, a person should give up training. It is recommended to continue until you have control of your muscles and can relax pleasantly.