IF you are like most people, you spend hours hunched over a desk or stuck in fixed positions that leave your muscles tight and mobility restricted, these stretches are for you.
Sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh.
That can make it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee all the way, which inhibits walking.
Likewise, when tight muscles are suddenly called on for a strenuous activity that stretches them, such as playing tennis, they may become damaged from suddenly being stretched.
Injured muscles may not be strong enough to support the joints, which can lead to joint injury.
Why daily stretches matter for flexibility
Daily stretches create changes in muscle tissue and connective structures through consistent stimulus.
When you stretch daily, your body adapts by lengthening muscle fibres and increasing tendon and ligament elasticity.
This happens gradually stretching once a week is not enough stimulus for change.
Daily stretching also helps maintain good movement patterns.
Most people spend hours in fixed positions which shortens muscles and restricts mobility.
Daily stretching counteracts this, keeps joints mobile and muscles supple.
How to make these stretches part of your daily routine
For most people, morning stretching is the way to go.
Your muscles are stiff from sleep and it is a perfect time to work on flexibility.
It is a 10-minute routine that you can fit into most mornings.
If mornings don’t work for you, do these stretches any time you can dedicate time each day, whether that’s during lunch breaks or in the evening wind-down.
It doesn’t matter when you do it the important thing is consistency.
Forward fold (with hamstring focus)
How to do it:
Stand with feet apart (approximately the width of your hips)
Hinge at the hips (keeping your back straight) to bend forwards
Allow your arms to hang down or hold opposite elbows
Keep your knees slightly bent to protect the lower back
Hold for 30-45 seconds, repeat 2 to 3 times.
Beginner version:
Sit on a chair and reach for your toes.
Common mistakes:
Rounding your lower back
Locking the knees
Bouncing or forcing the stretch.
Hip flex or lunge stretch
Instructions:
Get into a lunge position with your back knee on the ground
Keep your upper body straight
Gently push your hips forward
Contract your abs and glutes (engage the core)
Hold for 45-60 seconds on each side.
Beginner version:
Bring your back knee toward your front foot.
Common mistakes:
Bending forwards instead of remaining straight
Not engaging your core
Letting your front knee go past your toes.
Thoracic spine rotation
Instructions:
Lie on your side with your knees bent at 90 degrees
Extend your top arm straight out
Rotate your upper body and follow your hand
Keep your hips stable and your knees together
Aim for a 30-second hold on each side.
Beginner version:
Reduce the range of motion and only rotate as far as comfortable
Common mistakes:
Lifting the top knee
Forcing rotation beyond the comfortable range
Not keeping your head aligned with the movement.
Cat-cow spinal flow
Instructions:
Begin on hands and knees
Alternate between arching (cow) and rounding your spine (cat)
Keep the movements slow and controlled
With every movement, take a deep breath
Repeat 10-15 times.
Beginner version:
Reduce range of motion, focus on breathing
Common mistakes:
Moving too fast
Not breathing with movement
Collapsing through the shoulders.
Other factors that impact your flexibility
Hydration is incredibly important. Muscles that are dehydrated are less flexible and more resistant to stretching.
Sleep also contributes significantly to flexibility – muscles that are tired are tighter and less responsive to stretches.
Exercise intensity impacts your flexibility progress.
While regular movement helps, you should avoid a full stretching routing after an intense workout.
Aim to do the full routine either earlier or later in the day on those days.
What to expect after 30 days
After completing 30 days of this stretching workout consistently, you should notice your range of motion improving in your daily activities.
Most people feel less stiffness in the morning and their muscles feel less tense throughout the entire day.
Measurable improvements vary, but many people gain 2-4 inches in forward fold reach and 10-15 degrees in hip flexor mobility.
More importantly, you’ll develop better awareness of your body’s movement patterns.
Stretching once today won’t magically give you perfect flexibility.
You’ll need to do it over time and remain committed to the process.
It may have taken you many months to get tight muscles, so you are not going to be perfectly flexible after only a few sessions.
It takes weeks to months to get flexible, and you will have to continue working on it to maintain it.
Keys to stretching success
Consistency is more important than intensity.
Regularly stretching gently will give you better results than going harder but only sporadically.
You should never force a stretch until it’s painful.
Discomfort is normal but actual pain is an indicator that you could be causing damage.
Keep measurements of how far you can stretch or document with photographs or video – this will help you keep track of progress.
Knowing you’re improving is motivating and can give you an indication of when you might need to change the routine.
Improvements in your flexibility are slow – they won’t happen overnight. Be patient and persistent, much more important than absolutely perfect technique.
Why stretching is important
Stretching keeps the muscles flexible and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints.
Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight.
Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are unable to extend all the way.
That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage. – Online.
