The holiday season is supposed to be joyful—but for many people, it’s also one of the most stressful times of the year. Between travel, long hours cooking or wrapping gifts, financial pressure, colder weather, and disrupted routines, your body often absorbs that stress in the form of muscle tension, especially in the neck, shoulders, and lower back.
Active Release Techniques® (ART®) is one of the most effective ways to reduce this tension quickly and restore normal movement so you can actually enjoy the holidays instead of feeling tight and achy.
Here’s how ART® helps:
1. Releases Stress-Related Muscle Tightness
When you're stressed, your body naturally tenses—especially your traps, neck muscles, and low back.
ART® works by breaking up adhesions, improving muscle glide, and reducing spasms that form from long-term guarding or poor posture during holiday activities like:
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Cooking or baking for hours
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Standing in line or shopping
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Traveling in cars or planes
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Carrying heavy bags or gifts
2. Improves Posture During Holiday Activities
Holiday stress often leads to slouched posture, which strains the neck, shoulders, and mid-back.
ART® helps:
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Restore normal mobility in the spine
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Improve rib and shoulder movement
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Reduce tension in postural muscles like the pecs, scalenes, and upper traps
Better posture = less fatigue and fewer holiday headaches.
3. Reduces Tension Headaches and Jaw Tightness
Clenching your jaw, grinding your teeth, and being “on the go” all season can trigger tension headaches.
ART® can target:
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Tight neck flexors
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Upper traps
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Suboccipitals (the tiny muscles at the base of your skull)
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Overworked jaw muscles
Releasing these areas can dramatically reduce headache frequency and intensity.
4. Helps You Recover From Travel Stress
Holiday travel often means:
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Long flights
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Car rides
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Sleeping in guest beds or hotels
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Carrying luggage
ART® relieves the muscle stiffness that builds up from being stuck in one position for too long and helps reset your body back to its normal, pain-free state.
5. Boosts Mobility for Winter Activities
From decorating to winter sports, the body is often pushed in unusual ways during the holidays.
ART® restores mobility so you can move freely and avoid injuries from:
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Shoveling snow
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Hanging decorations
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Sledding, skiing, or ice skating
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Long days on your feet
6. Helps You Manage Stress Better
Muscle tension drains your energy, shortens your patience, and makes stress feel worse. When your muscles relax, your nervous system relaxes too.
ART® triggers a parasympathetic response (“rest and relax”), which helps:
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Lower stress levels
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Improve sleep
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Reduce anxiety-related muscle guarding
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Boost overall relaxation during the holidays
Quick Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress Tension
Combine ART® with small daily habits for best results:
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Take stretch breaks while cooking or wrapping
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Use heat on the shoulders to relax tight muscles
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Stay hydrated (stress and dry winter air both dehydrate muscles)
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Do deep breathing during high-stress moments
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Keep moving—short walks help a lot
Ready to Feel Better This Holiday Season?
Don’t let stress and tension steal your holiday joy. If you’re feeling tight, achy, or burned out, ART® can help you move and feel better fast.
Call ActiveMend Chiropractic & Rehabilitation at 234-294-0174 or Schedule online to book your appointment, and experience how much lighter the holidays can feel with proper muscle relief.
