Mindfulness can help release muscle tension

At times, we don’t even realise that our muscles are tense. Constant muscle tension could become painful and even lead to muscle injury. Considering the fact that it is tough to treat muscle injury in elders, it is imperative to prevent muscle tension and the accompanying injuries in senior citizens. 

Chronic stress and anxiety are said to trigger muscle tension in a lot of people.

Stress may impact our body’s nervous system by constricting blood vessels and reducing proper flow of oxygen, nutrients and chemical messengers to various tissues, muscles, and nerves. 

Mindfulness can be of utmost help in managing muscle tension.

Under stress, releasing adrenaline activates our sympathetic nervous system popularly known as the fight-or-flight response. Stress also increases the heart rate and narrows the blood vessels.

This response is useful to save us in dangerous situations. But continuous stress can put excess pressure on the nervous system and inhibit the working of parasympathetic nervous system. Mindfulness is said to have a marked effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, which causes the heart rate and breathing to slow down, dilates the blood vessels and increases the flow of digestive juices.

Mindfulness triggers ‘rest and relax’ parasympathetic nervous response…

According to a study conducted by Desh Deepak and others of VCSG Govt Medical Sciences and Research Institute, India, on the effects of meditation on parasympathetic nervous system, published in 2012, regular practice, depending upon the years as well, increases the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system in meditators.

The deep relaxation induced by mindfulness can have a lasting effect on our brain and body. By releasing tension and balancing the intricate systems of our body, mindfulness lends us an overall feeling of well-being.