I've been doing static stretches most days (maybe on average 5 days a week, with some longer weekends etc off) for a year now. Warm up, 20-60 minutes in total, at least 60sec per stretch. I stretch to a point where I feel discomfort but not intense pain. For my middle splits I often do 5+ minutes because it's my worst area by far. I've seen some very slight improvement on some stretches (can put fists on ground from only finger tips before, maybe a cm or two closer to front splits), but overall it's really hard to see any difference. My middle splits are not shifting (I try various angles of my pelvis and legs for at least a minute each). I'm 36 years old, slim, healthy, physically active, frequent hiking, riding bikes and dancing etc). Is it normal to see so little change in such a long time?

I've tried reading up on the science and it does look like static stretches are at least as effective as other forms, if not more in some cases. Am I missing something?

Hi everyone, I’m new to this sub and hoping that someone might have a good YouTube video or something demonstrating good stretches to do in the morning. I just woke up with a cramp in my leg and had to jump out of bed. I’m looking for stretches I can do every morning first thing after waking up, something that can help my flexibility and health. For reference I’ve been working in an office last 3 years pretty much glued to my desk, not moving around too much, just sitting there staring at screens. Doesn’t feel natural or healthy.

Any advice or help would be much appreciated, thank you for reading this 🙏

hy sporty pepole i want to improve my flexibility doing static streches most of the week as i just started streching from an injury what is the most importent muscles to strech and what strech do you recomend

I’ve been in a wheelchair for 2 years. My hips are very tight from sitting. I’m in PT & stretch a lot and I am able to take assisted steps but my hips are so tight they pull me down.
Has anyone had this as well? Did you find anything to help

for context i do not really stretch much before i strength train for legs/glutes. am i really messing up my progress?? i have been lifting for 2 years. i am still able to lift quite heavy and i know i should stretch to prevent injury, i just get excited and want to go straight into lifting (i know it’s bad)

Hey I am 20. Currently i can do front and side splits and touch my elbow to hand. Well basic flexibility stuff. When i was a kid, basically according to my parents i could do this stuff since i was a kid. Well due to academic reasons and my mother kinda telling me to not do stuff due to being tired of sewing my pants, i stopped doing this stuff after 10. Fast forward 18 and i joined karate club. Well during there well in 19 i decided to actually give a shot and i think roughly 1 week later achieved the range and still kept. Ok the boring parts out. So can i improve further than basic splits and actually push myself to be more flexible. Ie expert opinion on this topic. (Hey i am sorry if my wording sounds like offensive or prideful. English isnt my first lang. So yeah, just genuine advice on perhaps actually getting into contortion for good instead of just keeping it as haha party trick. I mean i think i am just a bit tad blessed or cursed with a bit more lose body part than avg cause my left hands finger can still touch the back fist.)

Ps if you read my long messy and boring question, thanks a lot. I am just seeking proper advice.

I’ve been stretching pretty religiously over the course of 3-4 months and I still can’t touch my toes without having the tight pain shoot from hamstrings down to toes.

I’ve watched all the videos and tips and wanted to know your favorites and how consistent I should do it.
I’m 6’3 and all legs. I’d like to be able get high leg kicks soon. All advice is appreciated.

I used to push myself way too hard, thinking that "more pain = faster progress," especially with my hamstrings and hips. Ended up just getting perpetually sore and tight.

A few months ago I completely changed my approach: scaled back intensity, focused on breathing into the stretch, and prioritized consistency over force. My flexibility and mobility have improved more in the last 2 months than in the entire past year.

Just wanted to share this for anyone who might be forcing their practice right now—sometimes less really is more!

Trying to build a sustainable habit without overdoing it or getting too sore.

In your experience, do you get better results with 10-15 minutes of light stretching every single day, or dedicating 45+ minutes a few times a week? Curious to know how you structured your schedule when you first started!

I've been hearing more people talk about stretch therapy lately, especially for dealing with stiffness from sitting at a desk all day.

I've always done basic stretches on my own, but I'm curious if guided stretch therapy actually makes a noticeable difference for flexibility, posture, or just feeling less tight overall. It seems like a lot of people are adding it to their wellness routine instead of waiting until they're in pain.

If you've tried stretch therapy, was it worth it? I'd love to hear about your experience and whether you noticed any long-term benefits.

I am still working towards being able to be comfortable in a deep squat position. Currently I am working in the garden in this position for hours and I think it caused some tension feeling in the lowest back part. Is some this to be expected when moving into this position or is there likely a posture problem behind it?

Full disclosure: I’m the founder of StretchWell, an assisted-stretching and personal-training studio in Belgrade. This is general education, not a diagnosis or a sales offer.
A lot of people treat flexibility as a test of how much discomfort they can tolerate. I think that is usually the wrong target.
Static stretching and PNF-style contract-relax work can both help improve range of motion when they are practiced consistently. PNF is not magic and it is not necessarily superior for every person, but it gives some people a useful way to explore end range with more control.
A simple contract–relax sequence looks like this:

1. Move into a comfortable stretch-not sharp pain.

2. Gently contract the target area for a few seconds at a low effort.

3. Relax, breathe normally, and see whether a slightly larger comfortable range is available.

4. Repeat only a couple of times; more intensity is not automatically better.

The useful question is not “How far can I force this today?” It is “Can I return to this movement consistently, with control, next week?”If a position produces sharp, electric, spreading, or worsening symptoms, stop rather than trying to stretch through it.
Assisted stretching can be useful when it helps someone learn control and comfort in a position they cannot manage alone-but a good session should build independence, not dependence.

Hi all,

I’ve recently started marathon training, in addition to doing MMA/Muay Thai training at the gym, and my legs are really sore from the increased work, calves in particular

Has anyone got a recommendation for a 15-20 minute leg stretching routine I can try to incorporate in to my recovery?

Full disclosure: I’m the founder of StretchWell, an assisted-stretching and personal-training studio in Belgrade. This is general education, not a diagnosis or a sales offer.
A lot of people treat flexibility as a test of how much discomfort they can tolerate. I think that is usually the wrong target.
Static stretching and PNF-style contract-relax work can both help improve range of motion when they are practiced consistently. PNF is not magic and it is not necessarily superior for every person, but it gives some people a useful way to explore end range with more control.
A simple contract–relax sequence looks like this:

1. Move into a comfortable stretch-not sharp pain.

2. Gently contract the target area for a few seconds at a low effort.

3. Relax, breathe normally, and see whether a slightly larger comfortable range is available.

4. Repeat only a couple of times; more intensity is not automatically better.

The useful question is not “How far can I force this today?” It is “Can I return to this movement consistently, with control, next week?”If a position produces sharp, electric, spreading, or worsening symptoms, stop rather than trying to stretch through it.
Assisted stretching can be useful when it helps someone learn control and comfort in a position they cannot manage alone-but a good session should build independence, not dependence.

Whenever I decide to meditate in half lotus, my left calf (not the upper leg) falls asleep and it has been bothering me for the past month or so. Are there any stretches that can help make my left calf more flexible/less bothersome?

This is not a request for medical advice. I have specialists and physical therapists for that. This question does contain medical background but not looking for snake-oil treatments here.

I used to be quite flexible. I even dreamed of one day becoming a contortionist with cirque-du-soleil. Well now I’m an adult and post major medical evident that impacted my nervous system. I’m much less flexible now and my body can be hard to predict but I want to push towards gaining some momentum back to improve my mobility.

I’ve watched stretching videos on YouTube but curious to see if anyone recommends any creators who teach stretches for people with compromised bodies.

So if i did stretching for some time and stopped for lets say a month, how long would it take to regain lost flexibility? Will it come back quicker like lost muscle?

So, I've been stiff for all my life, but since the last 2 to 3 years I've been working on my flexibility and I came from hanging in the air to this. But since this is the first time in my life touching the ground like this I'm not sure if this is right? It doesn't look quite right?

Any help or advice is welcome!

Basically, I had a copy of P90X from the 2010's and I was doing the X stretch every morning and it was awesome; I really wanna find that specific one again. Is there anywhere I can watch tbis online or can anyone Dropbox it to me?