Calming Anxiety with Lifestyle Changes
Breathe deeply to relax at the moment. Slowly inhale through your nose for a count of 5, feeling your stomach expand. Then, exhale slowly to a count of 5, letting your stomach deflate. Repeat for 5 breaths or until you start to feel relaxed. If you can, close your eyes while you breathe deeply. You can do this breathing exercise every time you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or fidgety.Tip: Breathing deeply can help you feel calm because it creates the same sensation in your body as you get when you're naturally relaxed.
Cross your legs at the ankles and fold your hands in your lap for a relaxed pose. You can keep your knees together or spread them apart, depending on what’s comfortable to you. Sitting this way can help you prevent your leg from shaking. Additionally, it sends the message to your body that you are relaxed. If one leg tends to shake more than the other, make it the bottom leg by crossing the non-shaking leg over it at the ankle.
Cut down on caffeine to avoid the jitters. This means avoiding coffee, some teas, soda, and chocolate. Unfortunately, caffeine can make your leg shaking worse because it can trigger restlessness, agitation, and jitters. It’s best to just skip it if you have trouble with shaking legs. You can still have your favorite beverages! Just look for decaffeinated options of your favorite coffee, tea, or soda.
Eat regular meals so your blood sugar doesn’t get low. Low blood sugar makes you moody, which is why many people get upset when they’re hungry. If you’re prone to feeling anxious or nervous, low blood sugar will make it harder to deal with these emotions, causing you to experience more symptoms, such as shaking legs. For example, you might eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the option of 2 snacks if you feel hungry. If you aren't feeling hungry, you might eat a protein bar or smoothie for breakfast, a broth-based soup for lunch, and a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. For snacks, grab a handful or small pack of nuts or string cheese. If you know you’re about to do something that makes you anxious, such as a client meeting, eat beforehand.
Manage your stress levels to help you feel less anxious. Everyone experiences stress in their lives, but too much stress can leave you feeling anxious and nervous all of the time. Fortunately, stress management techniques can help you calm down and relax. Here are some great ways to reduce your stress: Meditate for 5-10 minutes a day. Go for a walk in nature. Do something creative, like draw or sing. Engage in your hobbies. Discuss your feelings with a friend. Write in your journal. Play with your pet. Color in an adult coloring book.
See a counselor or therapist if nothing you try helps. It’s normal to need extra help with coping with your anxiety, so don’t hesitate to work with a mental health professional. They can help you talk through your issues and learn new ways to cope with the anxiety you feel. Over time, this can help you relieve the nervousness that’s causing your shaking legs. Ask your doctor for a referral to a mental health professional or search for one online. Your insurance may cover your sessions with a counselor, but it's best to find out if you have coverage before you go. Check your coverage by going online or reading your benefits materials. As another option, you can check with the counselor directly to see if they take your insurance, as well as what will be covered.
Dealing with Restless Leg Syndrome
Take a warm bath or shower right before bed to calm your muscles. Although soaking is your best option, a shower can also help. Warm water can soothe and relax your muscles, making them less likely to shake. Spend at least 20 minutes in the water to give yourself time to feel the effects. If you bathe right before bed, you may be able to go to sleep more easily. For added relaxation, add a calming scent like lavender or eucalyptus to the water. You can use essential oils or scented bath salts.
Give yourself a leg massage to relax your muscles. Apply lotion or a few drops of massage oil onto your skin. Then, use your palms to apply even pressure to your muscles, starting at your foot and working your way up to your knee and then to your thigh. Rub your legs, making slow, circular movements over your skin. Although the lotion or massage oil is optional, it will make it much easier to massage yourself without irritating your skin. If you have a partner, they may be willing to massage your legs for you.
Do a relaxing activity, like reading, right before bed. Choose an activity that’s relaxing to you, then do it for at least 30 minutes before bed. This will help you calm your mind and get ready for sleep, which may help you avoid leg twitches. If you consistently do your relaxing activity before bed, your body will start to anticipate going to sleep, making it easier to do so. For instance, you might read, doodle, listen to podcasts, color, do a crossword puzzle, listen to calming music, or crochet. Make sure the activity you choose is calming to you. For example, some people might get too into a book to quit reading. If that’s the case for you, it may be best to pick a different activity.
Walk to another room if your leg shakes while you’re in bed. Sometimes taking a short walk can get your leg to stop shaking, so get out of bed if you feel it happen. Walk to your kitchen or bathroom, then get back into the bed. In many cases, moving the muscles will be enough to get them to stop shaking. Although this might not always work, it may help you avoid lying in bed with your leg continuously shaking.
Work out for 30 minutes early in the day to control your symptoms. Being more active helps work the muscles that shake. Additionally, it can help you be more relaxed. If you’re consistent in your workouts, you’ll likely experience less leg shaking. For example, you might walk, jog, swim, take a gym class, follow along with a DVD or streaming workout, or use a cardio machine. Choose a workout that’s fun for you so it’s easier for you to stick to it.Warning: Exercising late in the day can make your leg shaking worse, so it’s important to do it in the morning, afternoon, or early evening. If you experience leg shaking after exercising later in the day, move your workout earlier in the day.
Eat a healthy diet with iron, folate, and magnesium. Make sure you’re eating a balanced diet that includes foods like dark leafy greens, fortified cereals, and beans. These foods are high in minerals and vitamins that can help alleviate your RLS symptoms. Avoid having sugary foods or drinks, caffeine, and processed foods since they are more likely to make your legs shake. If don’t get your daily doses of iron, folate, or magnesium through your diet, talk to your doctor to see if you can start taking over-the-counter supplements.
Get up to stretch your legs every hour when sitting for long periods. Unfortunately, sitting for long periods of time can trigger RLS. However, sometimes you can't avoid sitting for a long time, such as when you’re at work or on a plane. To help you avoid shaking, get up and walk around for a couple of minutes every hour. This will help you release the tension in your muscles. Even walking in place can help you feel better.
Talk to your doctor about medications that can relieve your symptoms. If your RLS is really bothering you, medications can help you find relief. Your doctor will help you figure out the best treatment for you. For example, your doctor may prescribe one of the following: Medicines that boost dopamine, like ropinirole (Requip), rotigotine (Neupro) and pramipexole (Mirapex) Medications that alter your calcium channels, such as gabapentin (Neurontin), gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant) and pregabalin (Lyrica) Opioids that can help with pain, like combined hydrocodone and acetaminophen (Norco, Vicodin) Propranolol can help alleviate tremors before social situations. Muscle relaxers or sleep medications, such as clonazepam (Klonopin)
Relieving Shaking Legs During Exercise
Increase your fluid intake if you may be dehydrated. When your body gets dehydrated, you may have an electrolyte imbalance, which can cause muscle shaking. If you're dehydrated during your workout, leg shaking is a common effect. Fortunately, it’s easy to stop the shaking by drinking a sports drink. It’s best to increase your fluids before a workout, especially if you plan to push yourself. Drink 16 to 20 fl oz (0.47 to 0.59 L) of fluids in the 2-3 hours before your workout so you’re properly hydrated. Make sure you're drinking more water throughout the day, as well.
Avoid high glycemic foods before your exercise. Don’t have any processed foods, vegetables, and sugary drinks before your workout. High glycemic foods will raise your blood sugar and can lead to shakiness in your legs. Instead, have whole grains or a protein bar before you begin.
Slow down your workout if you’re trying something new. Your muscles may shake if you’re working them too hard or doing an exercise you’ve never tried before. You don’t have to stop your workout, but it’s best to slow down the intensity so you can focus on your form. That way, you can progress in your workout but will avoid accidental injury. If you can, have someone spot you when you're doing a new exercise to ensure your form is correct. As another option, film yourself doing the exercise so you can check your form.Warning: If your muscles are shaking during a workout, it’s likely that you will not be using proper form for whatever exercise you’re doing. This means you can easily injure yourself. By slowing down, you can make sure your form is correct.
Incorporate rest days if shaking muscles occur often. While you likely want to boost your fitness level fast, overworking your body can be harmful in the long run. One consequence of working out too much is shaking muscles, especially the ones in your legs. The easy fix for this is giving yourself 1-2 days of rest each week, depending on the intensity of your workouts. As another option, alternate the days you work specific muscle groups so that they don't get overworked. For example, you might work your legs on Monday and Wednesday, your arms on Tuesday and Thursday, and your abs on Friday and Sunday. If you get moderate exercise, 1 day of rest each week might be enough for you, though you should listen to your body. If you do vigorous exercise, rest at least 2 days a week.
Make sure you’re getting proper sleep so your body can repair itself. Your body repairs itself during sleep, which includes repairing and rebuilding your muscles. If you aren’t sleeping enough, your muscles might not get enough time to fully recover from your prior day’s workout. This can result in shaking legs. However, sleeping more can help you stop your legs from shaking during future workouts. Follow a sleep routine to help you go to sleep easier. This can include getting ready for bed, doing a relaxing activity right before bed, and turning off screens. Turn down your thermostat to make your bedroom cool, which will help you go to sleep more easily. Similarly, choose comfortable bedding.
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