Flexibility
A basic routine to get more flexible, one area at a time
One comfortable hold for each major area, totalling about 60 seconds, on two or more days a week. That is the flexibility dose in the American College of Sports Medicine position stand. A single bout of any usual technique gives a small, short-lived gain in range. For longer-term range, a 2024 review found static holds and contract-relax work ahead of bouncing stretches.
This isn’t a workout to push through. It watches how your body responds and adjusts as it goes.
Before you start
Stop a hold that is sharp, or that sends tingling or pain down an arm or a leg. Ease the range rather than bouncing at the end of it. Stop and speak to a clinician if a movement brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and seek urgent care for any loss of bladder or bowel control or numbness around the saddle area.
This is the version everyone gets. Yours is different.
Start your first sessionThe short answer
The ACSM position stand says that, to maintain joint range, adults should complete a series of flexibility exercises for each of the major muscle and tendon groups, a total of 60 seconds per exercise, on two or more days a week. Less than that target can still help. The stand also says the programme should be changed for the person's health and goals.
That is a routine, not a single heroic fold. Neck, upper back, hip, and the back of the thigh cover the areas a stiff day usually names. One hold you can breathe through beats a longer one you are bracing against.
Which kind of stretch, for which job
Behm and colleagues found that one bout of stretching gave a small increase in range of motion compared with doing nothing, and that the technique did not significantly change that acute gain. Static, dynamic and the other usual methods looked similar for a single session.
Konrad and colleagues looked at stretch training over time. Static stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, a contract then a further stretch, produced greater range than ballistic or dynamic stretching. Frequency itself did not explain how large the gains were. For a home routine, a still hold is the practical choice. Bouncing at the end of the range is the one to leave out.
What the hold is changing
A separate review of static stretching found no significant change in the length of the muscle fibres. Range still improved, tracking stiffness and how much tension a person would tolerate. The routine below is for that tolerance, not for a longer muscle.
The sequence
- 1
Cat cow · 45 to 60 seconds
The spine through both directions, slowly. A still spine is what most people mean by feeling inflexible.
- 2
Side of the neck · 30 seconds each side
A broad hold from the neck toward the shoulder. Two sides together approach the 60 second total.
- 3
Upper back over a chair · 45 to 60 seconds
Opens the upper back, the part a long sit takes first.
- 4
Hamstring with a strap · 30 to 60 seconds each side
The floor holds the back so the length is asked of the leg. A belt works if you have no strap.
- 5
Figure 4, lying down · 45 to 60 seconds each side
The outer hip. Keep it broad and dull. Anything sharp or travelling down the leg means come out.
- 6
One knee toward the chest · 30 to 60 seconds each side
A small finish for the hip and the lower back, with no load through the spine.
About ten minutes. Hold only where you can still breathe. The 60 seconds can be split into two shorter holds. Skip a side that sends symptoms down a leg or into an arm.
That sequence was written for everyone with this. Yours would be built around your answers.
Start your first sessionWhat the research says
Garber et al., the American College of Sports Medicine position stand (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2011), recommends a series of flexibility exercises for each of the major muscle and tendon groups, totalling 60 seconds per exercise, on two or more days a week. It also says adults who do less than the stated targets can still benefit.
Behm et al., Sports Medicine Open (2023), pooled 47 studies and found a small acute increase in range of motion from one bout of stretching versus a non-active control. Subgroup analysis found no significant difference between stretching techniques.
Konrad et al., Journal of Sport and Health Science (2024), found stretch training increased range of motion versus controls, with a moderate effect. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and static stretching produced greater range than ballistic or dynamic stretching. Frequency was not found to play a significant role in the size of those gains.
Sources
- 1American College of Sports Medicine position stand, quantity and quality of exercise for apparently healthy adults (Garber et al., Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2011)
Adults should do a series of flexibility exercises for each of the major muscle and tendon groups, totalling 60 seconds per exercise, on two or more days a week.
- 2Behm et al., acute effects of various stretching techniques on range of motion, systematic review with meta-analysis (Sports Medicine Open, 2023)
A single bout of stretching produced a small increase in range of motion compared with doing nothing. Subgroup analysis found no significant difference between stretching techniques.
- 3Konrad et al., chronic effects of stretching on range of motion, systematic review with meta-analysis (Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024)
Stretch training increased range of motion compared with controls. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and static stretching produced greater range than ballistic or dynamic stretching. Frequency of stretching was not found to explain how large those gains were.
- 4Mechanisms underlying range of motion improvements following acute and chronic static stretching, systematic review with meta-analysis (Sports Medicine, 2025)
Neither acute nor chronic static stretching significantly changed fascicle length; range of motion gains were associated with reduced overall stiffness and increased tolerance to passive tension.
Common questions
What is a basic routine to get more flexible?
A series of holds, one for each major area, totalling about 60 seconds each, on two or more days a week. That is the ACSM flexibility dose. Neck, upper back, hamstring and hip cover a basic set.
Is static or dynamic stretching better for flexibility?
For a single session, a 2023 review found no significant difference between techniques. For longer-term range, a 2024 review found static holds and contract-relax work ahead of bouncing or dynamic stretching.
How many days a week should I stretch?
ACSM says two or more. A separate review did not find that stretching more often, by itself, explained bigger gains in range. Two honest days beat a plan you abandon.
Does stretching make the muscle longer?
Not in the structural sense a 2025 review could measure. Fascicle length did not significantly change. Range of motion did, along with stiffness and tolerance of the stretch.
Should a flexibility routine hurt?
A broad, dull stretch is the sensation these holds are for. Sharp pain, or tingling that travels, is a reason to ease off or come out. A hold you are bracing against is too strong.
This is the version everyone gets. Yours is different.
Start your first sessionAlso called what is a basic routine to get more flexible, basic stretching routine, flexibility routine for beginners, how to get more flexible at home, flexibility routine at home, stretching routine for range of motion. Movements are drawn from the clinically authored Vinys library. This page is general movement information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. How the method works.