Want to be more flexible? Try this 5-minute daily stretching routine
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With the holidays in full swing, you’re likely finding yourself with little time and lots of stress. But taking a few minutes out of your day to connect with your breath and body may be just what you need to release tension and feel more in control. Slowing down and showing our muscles some love is a great self-care activity that boosts our mental health. That’s why this month I’ve designed a 5-minute stretch routine that you can do daily to feel more relaxed mentally and physically.
Plus, this is a great way for those who are currently sedentary to start making movement a priority. If you get a head start this month, you’ll be ready to tackle bigger health goals in January! For those already active, it will help you keep it up during a month where we typically have less time to devote to exercise.
By committing to stretching daily stretch for 31 days, you can improve your range of motion, increase flexibility and reduce stress levels.
Types of stretching: dynamic vs. static
Did you know that there are two kinds of stretching? With static stretching, you hold the stretch for 20 seconds or more, which helps release muscular tension and stress. This type of stretching is generally performed at the end of a workout when the muscles are already warmed up. Dynamic stretching is more movement-based stretching that helps improve range of motion and flexibility of the body as a whole. These stretches literally flow from one move to the next to help loosen up the body and are a great way to warm up before exercise. I included both types of stretching in this month’s routine to give you a well-rounded stretch that can be done any time of day.
31-day flexibility challenge
You don’t need to devote a ton of time to stretching to feel the results. I’ve designed a 5-minute daily stretching routine that will help you make stretching a habit. Try it in the morning to start your day, as an excuse to step away from the computer for an afternoon break, or as a way to wind down before bed. If you want to couple this stretch with a walk, I recommend using it as a cool down since it does include some of the static stretches that are best done after exercise.
Toe touch test
One of the goals of stretching is to increase flexibility. I encourage you to start with a simple flexibility test so you can track your progress throughout the month. Each week, you can perform one or all three of these flexibility tests to track your progress:
Standing forward fold: Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, and hinge forward at your waist as you reach your torso, head and neck down. Reach your fingertips down, and see how close to the ground you can get!
Standing wide leg forward fold: Stand with your feet as wide as your shoulders, and fold forward just like the standing forward fold above. See how far your fingertips can reach down.
Seated forward fold: Sitting down on the ground, bring your legs together by squeezing your inner thighs together. Then slowly fold forward at your waist and reach your arms and fingers towards your toes. See how far you can go.
A 5-minute daily stretch routine
This is the 5-minute daily yoga-inspired stretching routine that I give my private clients. You can do it anywhere that you have enough room to swing your arms in a full circle. If you don’t have a mat, you can do the kneeling yoga sequence on the carpet, a towel or a blanket to help support your knees.
Standing mountain pose
Stand with your feet hips-width apart and your arms straight down at your sides. Make sure you’re balanced, and begin to press your big toes together. Straighten your legs and tighten your quads so that you remain firm and balanced. Squeeze your glutes while straightening and elongating your spine, neck and shoulders. Raise your arms straight up overhead and reach toward the sky.
Forward fold
From a standing position. Reach the arms out to the sides and up, and then dive forward hinging at your hips. Hanging forward with a slight bend in your knees, allow your chin to rest towards your chest. Let your arms dangle. If you’re able to, try to touch your palms or fingertips to the floor on either side of your feet. Hold this for 5 deep breaths.
Half lift
Gently press your fingertips into your shins or quads. Inhale and lift your upper body away from your quads while keeping your back straight until your upper body is parallel to the ground. Release and come back to a forward fold.
Crescent lunge
From a standing position, step your left foot back behind you. Bend your right knee so that your quad is parallel with the mat. Reach your arms toward the sky and straighten your back. Hold for 5 breaths, relaxing the shoulders, before switching sides.
Standing hamstring stretch
Begin in a standing position. Place your right heel on the ground in front of you with the toe pointing toward the sky. Bend your left knee slightly. Press your heel into the ground and hinge forward at the hips so that you feel the stretch in your right leg. Press your hands onto your right thigh. Hold for 5 breaths before switching sides.
Bonus stretch
Have some extra time? Add these stretches to your daily routine.
Seated cat cow
Sit on the ground in a cross-leg position. Place your hands on your knees and sit up straight. Inhale as you pull your knees with your hands, helping to guide your chest forward and arch your low back. Lift your head toward the sky. Then exhale and round the back, leaning back slightly until you feel a pulling with your hands on your knees. Think of moving your torso away from your knees. Repeat 5 times each.
Seated cross-legged forward fold (left and right)
From a cross-legged, seated position, inhale as you reach your arms straight over your head. Exhale as you lean your chest forward over your legs, reaching your arms forward and resting them on the floor. Hold for 3 breaths. Feel a stretch in your low back. Then walk your hands over to the right and reach your arms on a diagonal to the right. Feel a stretch in the left side of your waist and back. Hold for 3 breaths, then walk the hands over to the left and reach your arms on a diagonal to the left. Feel a stretch in the right side of your waist and back. Hold for 3 breaths, and then move on to the next exercise.
Lying figure four
Lying down on your back, bend the knees and place the feet flat on the floor. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh. Grab your left hamstring with both hands, and pull the left leg in toward your chest. Flex the right foot and feel a stretch in the right glute. Hold for 3 breaths, and then switch sides. Then move on to the next exercise.
Lying twist
Lying down on your back, hug both knees into your chest. Open the arms straight out to your sides into a “T” shape. Keeping your torso facing forward, lower the legs to the right and turn your head to the left. Hold the stretch for 3 breaths, then come to center. Switch to the left side, hold for 3 breaths, and then move on to the next exercise.
Lying knees to chest
Lying down on your back, hug both knees into your chest. Wrap your arms around your legs so that your hands rest on your shins. Gently pull the legs in closer to the chest and reach the tailbone down toward the ground. Feel a stretch along the entire spine. Hold for 3 breaths.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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