Easy 3-Step Fix for Evening Shoulder Tension
Muscle Tension Affecting Your Sleep?
By the evening, it can feel like all the stress and to-dos of the day are sitting on your shoulders.
Your neck is sore.
You’ve got tight spots between your shoulder blades.
Your posture is slouchy.
And deep down, you already know it’s going to make it harder to get quality sleep.
When this happens, try this simple sequence before bed!
JUST ONE THING
Yes, turning off screens, lowering the lights, and deep breathing all help.
But sometimes, what you really need is a quick bedtime strategy to release the tightness in your upper body.
Just One Thing to Release Evening Tension
Roll then Stretch
Maybe you’ve tried doing a quick shoulder stretch, and it doesn’t quite do the trick.
Or you’ve tried digging your thumb into your neck muscles, and NOPE! Not fully effective either.
Getting your neck and shoulders to fully relax so you can sleep better probably requires a sequence of moves that’s a bit more thorough.
Try this:
- Begin with some self-massage to help your muscles let go of tension.
- Now that they’re stimulated, do an active stretch to release the muscles.
- Finally, end with a passive stretch to fully lengthen and relax the muscles.
The power is in the order: roll ➡️ active stretch ➡️ passive stretch.
(By the way, when I recorded this sequence for you, I stood up and literally said out loud, “Wow, that felt so good!” 😲
How to Unlock Upper Body Muscle Tension (😴 3 Relaxing Stretches)
- Soft Tissue Massage/Release - With the foam roller, gently roll around your shoulder blades, either side of your upper spine, and into the base of your neck. (The Rollga roller is amazing for this. Its deep grooves make all the difference! Be sure to enter code MEGAN15 at checkout for a discount!)
- Active Stretch: Upper Back & Shoulders - This is like “puppy pose” in yoga, but with movement. Use the roller to guide your arms forward, pressing your chest down, and exhaling as you stretch.
- Passive Stretch: Hooklying Thoracic Rotation - Exhale and let gravity gently pull the top arm open and towards the floor. Keep your knees tucked to protect your lower back.
Extra Tip: This should feel good, not painful. If you’re applying so much pressure that it’s painful, your muscles might tense up and “guard”, which would be counterproductive. So if the pressure feels too intense, position the roller against a wall and lean back against it while standing.
Did You Know...
- You can do any part of this sequence during the day to reset tight posture muscles.
- Using a foam roller, specifically the Rollga roller, has been shown to decrease muscle soreness by 30% and increase flexibility by 22%!
- Your upper back (thoracic spine) from the base of your neck to about where your bra strap hits is meant to bend, twist, flex, and extend. If it gets stuck in a forward-hunched position, it can cause major posture problems and stiffness.
Until next week... Be strong💪
