Did You Know Your Tight Muscles Are Actually Weak?
Ohhh, those tight shoulders, aching hip, sore back.... You've tried everything - massage, heat packs, baths, more massage. But those darn muscles just won't loosen up no matter what you do. Are we forever doomed to live with this constant discomfort? Luckily the answer is NO!
The answer to loosening up your overly tight muscles is a bit counter-intuitive.... you think that these muscles are too strong and that's why we need to try and relax them. But actually, overly tight muscles are usually WEAK.
Strong muscles have an easier time relaxing than weak muscles. Surprise!
The analogy I like to think of is when we feel anxious, we hold our breaths, clench randomly, and just get uptight in general. However, when we feel confident and grounded, we tend to breathe, relax, and open up. Similarly, when a particular muscle feels strong and confident in it's ability to function, that muscle will feel safe to open and release. On the other hand, if that muscle instead feels insecure about its functionality, it gets super tight. Trying to release this muscle then becomes quite a struggle.
So what can you do? Strengthen that muscle! For example, if your right hip constantly aches, a great exercise to do is clamshells (https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/the-clamshell-exercise#classic-clamshell). If your hamstrings are tight, try a sliding bridge exercise. You should notice a difference fairly quickly if you are able to target the muscle appropriately (which is not always easy unfortunately).
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!
