Any experts in muscle tension?

[Bob]

I've heard it called tonus, the amount of tension in muscle when you're not using them.

Somewhat out of the blue, my lower legs muscles have majorly tensed up.  I'm wondering how to loosen them up a bit but it's really just controlling the amount of tension in them.

How do I relax the muscles?
...was followed by...
How would I tense the muscle up?  I can do the opposite.

But overall, I do have a goal of getting muscles to feel good.  There's a nice, springly place that is the goal. 


The obvious one was reducing tension -- Don't use the muscle.  It will loosen up a bit and weaken.  Stretching, massaging, etc. also helps.  And then some use -- a controlled push and then relax.

Wait a pain (literally).  I've got big puffy lower legs now.  Lifting my foot upwards wears out quickly.

[hardy_practice]

Get yourself a copy of You Must Relax by Edmund Jacobson.  He invented progressive relaxation way back in the 30's.  Cheap as chips at Abebooks.

[Bob]

Interesting.  Looks a bit old but the wikipedia article does mention tonus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Jacobson

Hm... Looks like relaxation and mediation...
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-jacobson-relaxation-technique#3


How to not make a youtube video about relaxation... if you have a grating voice.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) seems to be the keywords.

Here's another one.

This could be part of an answer.  An easy answer is just not to use the muscle.  Don't exercise.  If a muscle isn't pushed for capacity or endurance it shouldn't shorten up.  Stretching should help too.  And light/good form use to carefully tense up the muscle and then relax it (PMR thing mentioned here again I think).  Massage -- roll or deep tissue.  And focusing on tension as goal too I suppose instead of more exercise related things.  Another freaking project though....

And time (which means rest pretty much).  Good sleep, nutrition, etc.


The new element was finding a muscle that can't really be stretched though.  There's a muscle along the inner leg side of the lower leg bone, the one that lifts the foot up.  The foot only extends out so far, not far enough to stretch those inner muscles.  Inside of the leg and an inner layer of muscle.  No good way to just stretch/lengthen the stupid thing.  But that's exactly where my leg tensed up.


Balance was the other thing I was thinking of.  If muscles are in pairs, the weak one might be the one I'm noticing.  The other paired one might be too strong.