Gently tense each muscle group in turn, then let go and feel the difference. Short or full version with spoken and written guidance; before sleep or at the end of a tense day.
Progressive muscle relaxation works by deliberately tensing a muscle group for a few seconds and then releasing it, so the body learns the difference between tension and relaxation. The guide takes you from your hands to your feet in turn: the screen highlights where you are and a voice tells you when to tense and when to let go. The short version has seven muscle groups, the full version twelve.
It suits nights when you struggle to fall asleep, the end of a busy, tense day, the time before an exam or an important conversation, and days spent at a desk. Practised regularly, it teaches you to notice tension earlier.
The American physician Edmund Jacobson developed the method in the 1920s and published it in his 1929 book "Progressive Relaxation"; the shortened forms used today come from the work of Bernstein and Borkovec in the 1970s. It is one of the most researched relaxation techniques: a 2026 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Public Health found that PMR clearly improves sleep quality. There are positive results for anxiety too; still, it does not replace treatment.
Never tense your muscles to the point of pain; light tension is enough. If you have an injury, pain or recent surgery in an area, skip that step or simply bring your attention there. If you are pregnant, skip the belly step. If you get a cramp, release immediately and stretch the area gently. This is a relaxation practice, not a treatment.