If you live with a cat or dog, you know how frequently they stretch during the day. Humans, however? Not so much. But stretching comes with so many benefits it’s hard to believe we don’t all follow a daily stretching routine religiously.
Meet the Experts
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Katie Baki, Glo yoga instructor in Louisville, Kentucky
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Mallory Fox, DHSc, MS; NASM Master Trainer, NASM-CPT, and NASM Stretching and Flexibility Coach
Why Stretch? Stretching Benefits Your Mind and Body
Start first with the physical benefits you receive from stretching. It can help increase your flexibility, but it can also improve your blood circulation and even give your posture a lift, says Katie Baki, Glo yoga instructor in Louisville, Kentucky. And while stretching before exercise can help warm up your body, stretching after a workout can decrease your risk of injury and muscle soreness.
There are two types of stretches: static (where you hold a stretch, usually for about 30 to 60 seconds) and dynamic (which takes your muscles and joints through their full range of motion), says Mallory Fox, DHSc, MS; NASM Master Trainer, NASM-CPT, and NASM Stretching and Flexibility Coach. Dynamic stretches, like leg swings, are typically done before a workout, while static stretches, like a seated hamstring stretch, are done after a workout. But you can also do either at any point throughout the day, Fox says. “I like to do a few dynamic stretches between meetings and appointments to help release tension in my body,” Fox says. “And static stretches can be incorporated into a mobility routine on non-workout days to maintain range of motion,” she explains.
Surprisingly, stretching can even support your mental and emotional health. “Some types of stretching, like static stretching can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which induces a state of calm and relaxation,” Baki explains. Plus, when you’re stretching, you’re often mentally present in the moment, which can increase your focus and concentration and help reduce stress.
Related: 6 Beginner-Friendly Yoga Stretches to Relieve Stiff Muscles
Full-Body Daily Stretching Routine
Below are 12 stretches you can do every day. This series of daily stretches target the entire body, muscles, and joints, and are designed to be done in the order listed. The first six are dynamic stretches, which means you’ll be moving your muscles and joints through full ranges of motion. The last six are static or held stretches. As you stretch, make sure you listen to your body. And don’t forget to breathe deeply and steadily as you stretch!
Stretching is definitely not a “no pain, no gain” type of movement. If you’re feeling pain, you should back off from that stretch.
01 of 12
Open Book
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Lie face up on the floor with your feet raised in a tabletop position: feet off the floor, knees above your hips so they form 90-degree angles (shins are parallel to the ceiling).
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Open your arms wide to either side on the floor at shoulder height, palms up.
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Exhaling, drop your legs to the right.
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Take a breath in and then exhale as you bring your left arm over toward your right as if you’re going to clap your hands (or as if your arms are a book that you’re closing).
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Inhale as you open the upper torso and return the left arm to starting position.
02 of 12
Cat Cow
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Start on the floor on all fours with knees stacked under hips and wrists under shoulders.
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Inhaling, tilt your pelvis forward as if to reach your tailbone to the ceiling and drop your belly toward the floor. At the same time, draw your chin and gaze up to arch your back.
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Exhaling, tuck your tailbone back under, draw your navel up and in toward your spine, and drop your gaze toward your thighs to round your spine.
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Move through these two poses slowly and fluidly 10 times, moving with your breath (inhale to cow, exhale to cat).
Related: 12 Easy Yoga Poses You Can Do in Your Bed
03 of 12
Low Lunge to Half Splits
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Starting on the floor on all fours, step your right foot forward between your hands. Keep your hands on the floor or place them on yoga blocks to modify (one block under each hand).
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Check that your hands are stacked directly under your shoulders.
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Inhale as you press your hips forward, lift your chest and gaze straight ahead; this is your low lunge and you should feel a nice stretch in your right hip flexor.
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Exhale as you pull your hips back as your right leg stays in place and straightens.
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Flex your right foot. This is your half split, you should feel a nice stretch in your right hamstring, calf, and glute.
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Shift back into a low lunge and then repeat these two stretches 10 times, alternating slowly and fluidly between them.
04 of 12
Child’s Pose to Cobra
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Starting on the floor on all fours, walk your hands slightly forward.
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Exhale and pull your hips back toward your heels as you reach your arms forward.
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Inhaling, lift your hips, bend your elbows and slide your chest forward.
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Press your hands into the ground as you arch your spine and pull your chest through your arms, gazing straight ahead or looking up slightly.
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Exhale back into child’s pose, and move through these two poses 10 times, alternating slowly and fluidly between them.
05 of 12
Downward Facing Dog
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Starting on the floor on all fours, spread your fingers wide and lift your hips up toward the ceiling.
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Keep your knees slightly bent and think about lifting your tailbone upward to create more length.
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Your heels may or may not reach the ground—that’s perfectly OK.
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Pedal them out by bending your right knee and pressing your left heel down.
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Switch sides and repeat this pedal sequence 10 times.
06 of 12
Inchworm
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Star by standing with your feet hip-width apart, says Fox.
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Then, hinge at the hips and place your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Be sure to keep your knees bent to avoid locking your joints.
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Walk your hands out to a high plank position, so your hands are under your shoulders and your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core to support and stabilize your spine.
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Hold the plank for a breath or two, keeping your muscles engaged. Then walk your feet towards your hands in small steps, piking the hips up with legs straight, Fox explains.
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Once your feet are close to your hands, walk your hands forward again to return to the high plank position.
07 of 12
Thread the Needle
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Start on the floor on all fours (or transition directly from downward dog by dropping your knees).
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Inhaling, rotate and open your torso to the left, reaching your left arm toward the ceiling.
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Exhaling, rotate back to center and continue rotating to reach your left arm through the space between your right arm and thighs (as if you’re “threading a needle” through a hole).
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Bring your left cheek to the ground and extend your right arm forward.
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Hold here for 10 deep breaths.
08 of 12
Butterfly
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Sit on the floor and bend your knees to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together.
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Inhale and sit as tall as you can (place a block or pillow under your hips if you have trouble with this).
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As you exhale, hinge from the hips and fold forward, feeling a stretch in the inner thighs.
09 of 12
Seated Forward Fold
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Sit on the floor, extend your legs straight in front, and sit up tall.
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Inhale and flex your feet. As you exhale, hinge forward from your hips over your legs as much as you can.
10 of 12
Prone Chest Opener
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Lie on your stomach and place your left elbow on the floor at shoulder height so your arm forms a goalpost.
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Press your right hand into the floor as you stack your right hip over your left hip and bring your legs to 90-degree angles with feet behind you.
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Turn your head to the right and place your left cheek on the floor. You should feel a deep stretch in your left pec muscle.
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Release and switch sides.
11 of 12
Supine Pigeon (Figure 4 Stretch)
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Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
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Cross your left ankle over your right thigh, close to the knee. If this feels good, stay here—that’s your stretch!
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If you want a deeper glute stretch, wrap your arms under your right shin and lift your right foot off the ground, pulling your right knee toward your chest.
12 of 12
Seated Leg Extension
Candra Huff
Seated Leg Extension
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Sit on the floor and extend your right leg in front of you. Bend your left leg so that the sole of your left foot lays flat against your right inner thigh, instructs Fox. If this is too deep of a stretch, you can move your foot closer to your right calf, she says.
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Sit up tall, lengthening your spine, and hinge at the hips to lean forward over your right leg. Reach your hands towards your foot. Try to keep your back straight and avoid rounding the spine.
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Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds. Breathe deeply and relax into the stretch as you exhale.
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Slowly release the stretch and switch legs to repeat the stretch.
Of course, you might find it daunting to do this daily, but start by finding a time of day that you can do this routine consistently. You might even add it to your calendar or stack it with another habit you’ve already adopted, Baki says. For instance, if you walk your dog daily, stretch as soon as you get home. Most importantly, shift your mindset. “Instead of thinking of stretching as something you ‘have’ to do, think of it as something you ‘get’ to do,” she adds. “You get to take care of your body and your mind.”
More Stretches to Try:
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