Stretch for 5 minutes after you get up
Regular stretching improves how far your joints move, with bigger gains when you stretch at least 5 days a week.
You swing your legs out of bed, stand up, and your back and hamstrings feel about as bendy as a cold plank. The answer the research points to is simple: the same few stretches, every morning. A few minutes of gentle stretching, before the kettle or the phone, is a small habit that can make you more flexible over several weeks.
What it helps with
Stiff, inflexible muscles
Regular stretching improves how far your joints move, with bigger gains when you stretch at least 5 days a week.
Limited range of motion
Stretching and strength training improve how far your joints move by about the same amount.
Key facts
- 1In a 2018 review, regular stretching programmes improved range of motion in healthy people.
- 2In that review, gains were larger when people stretched at least 5 days a week.
- 3Static stretching, holding a position still, tended to improve range of motion more than other stretching types.
- 4Holding stretches for under 60 seconds per muscle had only small effects on strength or speed straight afterwards.
- 5A 2021 review found strength training improved range of motion about as much as stretching.
Why flexibility is worth a few minutes
Flexibility means how far a joint can move comfortably, and it tends to shrink when you sit a lot and move little. It shows up in ordinary moments: reaching a high shelf, tying your shoes, looking over your shoulder when you reverse the car. Stretching is one of the simplest ways to keep that range, and it needs no gym or equipment.
The morning works well because getting up happens every day, however the rest of the day goes. Your muscles often feel stiffest then, so it is also when you are most likely to notice a change.
How a stretch changes your range
When you hold a stretch, the muscle lengthens a little and you grow used to the feeling of that length. Researchers think much of the early gain comes from this higher tolerance to stretching. Changes in the muscle itself seem to take longer. Right after one session your range goes up, but that gain fades again over the following hours, so lasting change comes from repeating the stretches on most days for several weeks.
Static stretching means moving into a position and holding it still, usually for 20 to 60 seconds. It is the easiest kind to learn on your own, and it is what most of the research below tested. Aim for a mild pull, never pain.
What the research found
A 2018 review by Thomas and colleagues pooled studies of stretching programmes in healthy people. Range of motion improved with regular stretching, and gains were larger when people stretched at least 5 days a week. Weekly time mattered too, with better results once people reached at least 5 minutes per muscle group each week. Static stretching tended to give larger gains than other types. So stretching every day is not too much, as long as it stays gentle; more days simply gave more of the benefit.
A 2016 review by Behm and colleagues looked at what stretching does just before activity. Holding stretches for under 60 seconds per muscle had only small effects on strength or speed straight afterwards. A short morning routine is therefore unlikely to leave you weaker for the day.
There are limits, though. Most studies lasted only a few weeks, often involved young and active adults, and usually measured a single joint such as the hips or hamstrings. The gains were real but modest, a few degrees of extra movement rather than a new body. A 2021 review by Afonso and colleagues also found that strength training improved range of motion about as much as stretching, so stretching is one good option among several.
Fitting it into your morning
Pick a spot you pass on the way out of the bedroom and leave a towel or mat there, so the floor is ready before your excuses are. Choose a few stretches that cover your main areas: hamstrings, hips, calves, chest and upper back. Hold each for about 30 to 45 seconds, and do both sides. If you hold a hamstring stretch for 45 seconds each morning, seven mornings give that muscle just over 5 minutes a week, the level linked to better results.
On a rushed or groggy day, do one stretch for each leg and call it done. In the studies, gains came from stretching often, so keeping the morning link matters more than a perfect session. Over a few weeks, the same few stretches, every morning, will show you more progress than switching routines would, and you become someone who loosens up before the day starts. If a stretch causes sharp pain, or you have a joint injury or ongoing back pain, stop and check with a doctor or physiotherapist first.
Which spot near your bed has room for a towel tomorrow morning?
Action steps
- 1Set out a towel tonight. Lay it on the floor near your bed so it is waiting when you wake up.
- 2Stretch for 5 minutes after you get up. Before checking your phone, work through static stretches for your legs, hips, chest and back, holding each for about 30 seconds per side, as many as fit in 5 minutes.
- 3Repeat the same stretches on at least 5 days a week. Keep the routine the same for several weeks so you can notice your range improving, such as reaching further toward your toes.
Suggested routines
- Sitting too much
Walk 8,000 steps every day
More daily steps are linked to a lower risk of early death, with benefits levelling off around 8,000 steps.
- Falls in older age
Stand on one leg for a minute while you brush your teeth
Balance and strength exercise programs reduce falls by about 24% in older adults living at home.
- No time to exercise
Do three one-minute bursts of vigorous movement a day
For adults who don't exercise, three 1 to 2 minute bursts of vigorous activity a day are linked to a 38% to 40% lower risk of early death.
References
- Thomas, E., et al. (2018). The relation between stretching typology and stretching duration: the effects on range of motion. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 39(4), 243-254. doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-101146
- Behm, D. G., et al. (2016). Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 41(1), 1-11. doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2015-0235
- Afonso, J., et al. (2021). Strength training versus stretching for improving range of motion: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare, 9(4), 427. doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9040427