The Best Stretch Routine, According to Experts

There are plenty of things you’ll happily make time for at the gym. An extra set of squats. Ten more minutes on the treadmill. A HIIT class that gases you out in the best possible way. Stretching, meanwhile, tends to be an afterthought—if it even surfaces at all.Sure, you want to lift heavy and run fast. But all that strength and conditioning isn’t quite as useful if your body’s so stiff that putting on a shirt or tying your shoes becomes its own full-body workout. Moving well and feeling good matter, too—hence why stretching deserves more attention in your routine.Why stretching mattersThe obvious payoff of stretching is better flexibility and range of motion (ROM). But there’s another benefit that’s less discussed: You can also get more comfortable using that range. Just because you can technically touch your toes, for example, doesn’t mean your hamstrings won’t scream at you the entire way down. Regular stretching can improve what’s known as stretch tolerance, says Domenic Angelino, MS, MPH, CSCS, CPT, chief exercise scientist at FitCraft, allowing you to move into deeper ranges with greater ease.Stretching can also complement your existing training routine, both before and after exercise. Angelino reminds us that dynamic stretches—which involve moving through your joint’s full ROM repeatedly—are great for warming up as they take joints and muscles through ranges similar to what you’re about to ask of them. Static stretches—where you settle into a position and hold it—are better suited for after training or a standalone flexibility session.“Essentially, stretching matters in that it helps increase your range of motion to accommodate whatever activities are involved in your life,” Angelino says. That matters in the gym, but also everywhere else: when you reach in a cupboard overhead, twist around for something behind you, and get down on the floor. In short, a handful of stretches done consistently can allow you to go about your life with less effort and stiffness—and reduce the likelihood of your body putting up a fight every time you ask it to move.A full-body dynamic stretch routineZaki Afzal, DPT, a sports PT and founder of Optimize Physical Therapy and Performance, designed a full-body routine to do before cardio or lifting. The sequence combines dynamic stretches with mobility drills designed to loosen stiff joints and tight tissues. “This whole routine is built to get the stuff that gets tight from sitting and training to actually move,” he says. It takes about 10 minutes, requires almost no equipment, and hits most of the places that tend to get cranky and creaky from workouts and daily life.If you’re super tight and new to stretching, Afzal advises going through the full sequence daily. “Once you start feeling better and more mobile with less tension, you can drop to about three times a week,” he says.1. Reach and RollFor the rib cage and mid-backLie on your side, place your head on a pillow, and pull your knees up toward your chest as far as they’ll go. Keep your bottom arm out in front of you, with the palm up, and rest your top palm on it. Slide your top hand forward and reach as far as you can to get a rib cage stretch, then trace it back down to your other hand and up your bottom arm until it's on your chest. Roll back to open your chest up toward the ceiling. Do 8 to 10 reps on each side for 1 to 2 sets.To make things easier, you can do it seated. Prefer a challenge? Hold a band so reaching back feels like pulling a bow and arrow.2. World's Greatest StretchFor the hips, adductors, thoracic spine, and hamstringsStart in a high plank. Step your right foot outside your right hand into a deep lunge. Keep your left hand planted and rotate your torso to the right, reaching your right arm toward the ceiling.Bring your right hand back down, then shift your hips back and straighten your right leg for a hamstring stretch. Return to the plank and repeat on the other side. Do 5 to 8 reps on each side for 1 to 2 sets.If you need to scale back, don’t sink as deeply into the lunge. To make things harder, Afzal suggests propping your front foot on a 3- to 6-inch surface to sink deeper into the lunge.3. B-Stance Overhead ReachFor the side of the hip and rib cageStand on one leg with the back foot as a light toe-touch for balance. Reach the arm on the same side as your stance leg straight overhead while your other hand sits on the opposite hip, and you push your hip toward the stance side. (You’ll feel the side of your hip and the whole rib cage on that side.) Move in and out of it for 8 to 10 reps on each side for 2 sets.Need an assist? Do it kneeling instead of standing. For a bigger stretch, Afzal suggests adding a small pulse toward the end range.4. Deep Squat PryFor the hips, ankles, adductors, and hip internal rotationDrop into a deep squat. Place your elbows on the inside of your knees. Push the knees out and in, holding about 5 seconds at a time. Repeat 10 times.Don't only focus on pushing your knees out. “Many people only push their knees way out and never explore the knees coming in, which matters a lot for hip internal rotation,” Afzal says. You can make this move more accessible by placing a small wedge under your heels or by squatting down onto a chair. Want to take things up a notch? Add some weight.5. Pronation PumpsFor the calf and arch of the footStand on one leg and hold onto a wall or a table for balance. Pump your shin back and forth by dropping your weight up and down. “You stretch the calf, but it also gets the arch of the foot to flatten and come back up,” Afzal says. Do 25 to 30 reps on each side for 2 sets.Afzal advises against shoving the knee back and forth; instead, let your pelvis drop up and down and drive the shin. You can take some of the pressure off by leaning forward with your hands on a table, or make it more challenging by doing the pumps in a split-squat position.6. Wall Snow AngelsFor the chest, shoulders, and shoulder bladesStand with your back, elbows, and hands against a wall, without excessively arching your lower back. Make snow angels by gliding your arms up and down the wall. Do 5 to 6 slow reps for 1 or 2 sets.Feels like too much? Afzal says it’s okay to let your elbows come off the wall a little as you reach up. To level up, push your lower back into the wall the entire time.7. Kickstand HingeFor the glutes and posterior chainStand on one leg with the back foot as a light toe-touch for balance. Slightly bend the front knee so the shin leans forward a little. Keep your hips high and drop your chest down with your back relaxed; you should feel it in your glute. Keep your weight distributed across the whole foot. Look down and keep your nose about 6 to 8 inches past your toes. “It's almost like you're bending down and forward to look over the edge of a cliff,” Afzal says. Do 8 to 12 reps on each side for 2 sets.Afzal advises against letting the knee and shin drift backward. “You’ll feel it a lot in your hamstring and not so much your glute,” he says.Bonus: Half-Kneeling Hip FlexorFor the front of the hip/thighGet down on one knee and plant your opposite foot in front of you so both knees form roughly 90-degree angles. Gently tuck your pelvis, squeeze the glute of your kneeling leg, then shift forward until you feel the stretch across the front of that hip/thigh. (Avoid arching your back as you shift forward. “That kills the stretch,” Afzal says.) Hold for 30 to 45 seconds and repeat once or twice on each side. Be sure to maintain even breaths throughout.Since this one’s a static stretch, it’s better suited to after training or a standalone flexibility session.