{"id":789888,"date":"2026-10-02T18:18:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T18:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/789888\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T18:18:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T18:18:26","slug":"the-best-stretch-routine-according-to-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/789888\/","title":{"rendered":"The best stretch routine, according to experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are plenty of things you\u2019ll happily make time for at the gym. An extra set of squats. Ten more minutes on the treadmill. A HIIT class<\/a> that gases you out in the best possible way. Stretching<\/a>, meanwhile, tends to be an afterthought \u2013 if it even surfaces at all.<\/p>\n

Sure, you want to lift heavy<\/a> and run fast<\/a>. But all that strength<\/a> and conditioning isn\u2019t quite as useful if your body\u2019s so stiff that putting on a shirt or tying your shoes becomes its own full-body workout<\/a>. Moving well and feeling good matter, too \u2013 hence why stretching deserves more attention in your routine.<\/p>\n

Why stretching matters<\/p>\n

The obvious payoff of stretching is better flexibility and range of motion<\/a> (ROM). But there\u2019s another benefit that\u2019s less discussed: you can also get more comfortable using that range. Just because you can technically touch your toes, for example, doesn\u2019t mean your hamstrings won\u2019t scream at you the entire way down. Regular stretching can improve what\u2019s known as stretch tolerance, says Dr Domenic Angelino<\/a>, chief exercise scientist at FitCraft<\/a>, allowing you to move into deeper ranges with greater ease.<\/p>\n

Stretching can also complement your existing training routine, both before and after exercise. Angelino reminds us that dynamic stretches, which involve moving through your joint\u2019s full ROM repeatedly, are great for warming up as they take joints and muscles through ranges similar to what you\u2019re about to ask of them. Static stretches \u2013 where you settle into a position and hold it \u2013 are better suited for after training or a standalone flexibility session.<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, stretching matters in that it helps increase your range of motion to accommodate whatever activities are involved in your life,\u201d Angelino says. That matters in the gym, but also everywhere else: when you reach in a cupboard overhead, twist around for something behind you, and get down on the floor. In short, a handful of stretches done consistently can allow you to go about your life with less effort and stiffness \u2014 and reduce the likelihood of your body putting up a fight every time you ask it to move.<\/p>\n

A full-body dynamic stretch routine<\/p>\n

Zaki Afzal<\/a>, a sports PT and founder of Optimize Physical Therapy and Performance, designed a full-body routine to do before cardio or lifting<\/a>. The sequence combines dynamic stretches with mobility drills designed to loosen stiff joints and tight tissues. \u201cThis whole routine is built to get the stuff that gets tight from sitting and training to actually move,\u201d he says. It takes about 10 minutes, requires almost no equipment, and hits most of the places that tend to get cranky and creaky from workouts and daily life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are plenty of things you\u2019ll happily make time for at the gym. An extra set of squats.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":789889,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,9621,102,56,54,55,61530,11518],"class_list":["post-789888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-gym","tag-health","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-weightlifting","tag-workout"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=789888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}