We couldn\u2019t relate more \u2013 so we\u2019re breaking down the importance of stretching, what Riley learned during the challenge and how you can incorporate it into your own routine.
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What are the benefits of stretching daily?<\/p>\n
Stretching is more than a quick toe touch before a run or a brief arm pull before shoulder day. A regular routine can help preserve mobility, improve range of motion and reduce the stiffness that builds up from training and daily life.<\/p>\n
Over time, this can make movement feel easier, support better exercise technique and help you stay comfortable and active as you age. There\u2019s even evidence from a recent study<\/a> suggesting stretching can support muscle growth in a similar way to weight training.<\/p>\n For those who spend long periods sitting<\/a> \u2013 or, on the flip side, are constantly training \u2013 a solid stretching routine can reduce tightness<\/a> in areas like the hips and shoulders, while easing stiffness in the back and hamstrings. It\u2019s also an effective way to prepare the body for exercise.<\/p>\n What was the challenge and what stretches did she follow?<\/p>\n Riley committed to 20 minutes of stretching a day, often following guided routines to ensure she covered all major muscle groups.<\/p>\n Throughout the challenge, she incorporated movements including the frog stretch, downward dog, hamstring stretches, deep lunges, glute stretches and neck work.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m sick of this challenge\u2026 but I know it\u2019s good for me,\u2019 she joked halfway through.<\/p>\n She also adapted her routine based on what her body needed. After deadlift<\/a> sessions, she focused on spinal mobility to prevent stiffness; after runs, she prioritised her legs. She also incorporated foam rolling<\/a> where needed, which can help reduce temporary muscle soreness \u2013 particularly delayed onset muscle soreness after intense sessions.<\/p>\n Riley\u2019s before and after of the mermaid stretch<\/p>\n What was Riley\u2019s verdict?Less pain and more limberness<\/p>\n By the end of the challenge, Riley reported reduced back pain \u2013 which had flared up midway through after a heavy deadlift session \u2013 along with noticeably improved ease of movement.<\/p>\n \u2018I feel a lot better,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n Increased flexibility<\/p>\n Her flexibility also improved significantly over the 30 days. She tracked progress across movements including splits (both sides and middle), the mermaid stretch, forward folds and toe touches \u2013 with clear results.<\/p>\n As she put it, \u2018if I want to get even more flexible\u2026 I\u2019ll need to spend more time,\u2019 noting lingering tightness in her hamstrings. Still, she considered the gains in such a short period well worth it.<\/p>\n Youtube \/@rileyrehl<\/p>\n Time to reconnect with the body<\/p>\n The biggest benefit, Riley noted, was the chance to reconnect with her body beyond standard workouts.<\/p>\n \u2018Stretching has become part of my night routine at this point,\u2019 she said midway through. By the end, she planned to continue in a more sustainable way: \u2018I might not do 20 minutes a night\u2026 but I definitely want to keep it in my routine.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018It was honestly awesome to just take some time every single day to stretch and move my body.\u2019<\/p>\n Youtube \/@rileyrehl<\/p>\n What are the best everyday stretches to introduce to your routine?<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to commit to 20 minutes of stretching every day \u2013 realistically, that\u2019s not always doable. But there are simple ways to incorporate it into your routine.<\/p>\n \u2018Strength<\/a> and flexibility go hand in hand, especially as we future-proof our health,\u2019 PT and WH contributor Kate Rowe-Ham told us.<\/p>\n Stretching generally falls into two categories: static and dynamic. Static stretching involves holding a position for a period of time \u2013 such as a hamstring or quad stretch post-workout \u2013 and is best for improving flexibility and easing tightness. Dynamic stretching involves controlled movement through a joint\u2019s range, like leg swings or arm circles, and is typically more effective before exercise as it prepares the body to move.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth incorporating both into your routine.<\/p>\n Some effective stretches to try include:<\/p>\n Downward dog: helps loosen the hamstrings and backForward fold: targets the lower back and hamstringsChild\u2019s pose: stretches the back, arms and shouldersShoulder stretch: releases upper-body tensionTricep stretch: targets the back of the arms and upper backMore stretching and mobility: Isabelle Knevett is the Fashion Features Editor at Women\u2019s Health, bringing a wealth of experience in media and fashion since 2019. She has led high-impact PR campaigns for global giants like Adidas and Reebok and has reported on everything from fashion analysis and shopping trends, to deep dive features and investigative reporting. A former professional dancer, she understands the value of quality gym and activewear, making her a true expert in the field. Her work has been featured in Marie Claire Australia<\/a>, ELLE Australia<\/a>, Australian Women\u2019s Weekly<\/a>, WHO<\/a> and more. When she\u2019s not buried in a fashion magazine or sweating it out the gym or dance studio, you\u2019ll find her reading or writing about fashion, feminism and global politics.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Recovery is one of the most overlooked aspects of fitness and health \u2013 and we can all admit…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":620202,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[64,63,538,7591,137,88198,5786],"class_list":{"0":"post-620201","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-flexibility","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-mobility","14":"tag-stretch"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"30](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6fe8be15-f471-4c63-9699-3ee5d0385722.png\" "\\"30")
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