Want more out of your workout?  Smile! 

The act of smiling releases tension in the jaw and neck, two of the greatest tension holders in the body.  Not only do the jaw and neck hold tension, they stimulate tension throughout the entire body.  In small doses, there is nothing wrong with tension, in fact small doses of tension are healthy.  But, in this day and age, tension has become our normal way of being -- so much so that we often do not realize it!  Take a quick check -- how is your jaw? Tight or loose?  How is your breathing?  Shallow or full?  Tight jaw and shallow breathing are signs of chronic tension.

By releasing tension, we enter into relaxation, the place from where a good workout starts.  The pulsing between muscular relaxation and contraction stimulates blood flow, which brings oxygen and nutrients to our muscle cells and takes CO2 and waste products away.  We get more out of our workout and we can work out longer. 

The word, Smile, starts with the letter "S," which depicts what in our body’s chemistry is called an allosteric or sigmoidal or S curve.  At the bottom of the "S" we are in relaxation.  At the top of the "S" we are in tension.  In the swiggle between the bottom and top of the "S" we are in dynamic ease, that magic place of flow between relaxation and tension where our bodies work most efficiently and derive the greatest benefits.

Watch and listen to Nia co-founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas discuss relaxation on their NiaNow website video by clicking here.