The Best Stretching Routine for Beginners (And How Much You Actually Need)

By David Thurin (@movementbydavid)

Here's the thing about stretching - most people either do way too much and burn out after a week, or they do so little that nothing ever changes. Then they decide they're "just not flexible" and give up entirely.

You don't need an hour-long yoga class. You don't need to be flexible to start. And you definitely don't need 20 different stretches. What you need is a handful of the right movements, done consistently, for way less time than you probably think. I'm going to give you the exact routine, tell you how long to hold each stretch, how many days a week to do it, and why this works even if you've never stretched before.

How much stretching do you actually need?

This is the part that surprises everyone.

A review of the available research found that roughly 5 minutes per muscle group per week is the minimum threshold to make real flexibility gains. Not per day - per week. That's it.

But how you break up those 5 minutes matters. A study comparing different hold times tested 15 seconds, 30 seconds, and 60 seconds. The 30-second holds came out on top. Longer wasn't better. So the formula is simple: enough 30-second sets to add up to at least 5 minutes of total time per muscle group, spread across the week.

In practice that means 10 sets of 30 seconds per muscle group per week. If you stretch 3-4 days a week, that's 2-3 sets per muscle group per session. And here's where it gets even easier - most good stretches hit more than one muscle group at a time. A butterfly stretch works your inner thighs and your glutes. A pigeon stretch works your glutes and your hip rotators. So the actual time commitment is much smaller than the math makes it sound.

The routine I'm about to give you takes under 10 minutes. Do it 3-4 times a week and you're covered.

Before or after a workout?

Quick answer because I get this question constantly.

Before a workout: do dynamic stretches - movements, not holds. Leg swings, hip circles, arm circles, bodyweight squats. The goal is to warm up your muscles and joints, not lengthen them. Save the long holds for after.

After a workout: this is the best time for static stretching (the hold-and-breathe kind). Your muscles are already warm, which makes the stretches more comfortable and more effective. Tack the routine below onto the end of your gym session and you're done.

On rest days or as a standalone routine: do 5-10 minutes of light movement first. A walk around the block, some jumping jacks, jogging on the spot - anything that gets your heart rate slightly up. Then go into your stretches. The one rule: never stretch completely cold muscles. A few minutes of movement beforehand makes a big difference in both safety and results.

The routine: 6 stretches that cover your whole body

These 6 stretches hit every major area that gets tight from sitting, training, or just living a normal life. No equipment needed. Each one has an easier variation and a harder one - start wherever feels right for your body and progress when you're ready.

Hold every stretch for 30 seconds. Breathe normally. You should feel a solid stretch, not pain. If it hurts, back off until it's uncomfortable but tolerable.

1. Standing forward fold

Targets: Hamstrings (back of the legs).

Stand with your feet together. Fold forward from the hips and reach toward the ground. Let gravity pull you down - don't force it.

Easy version: keep a slight bend in your knees and reach for your shins or ankles. Harder version: straighten your legs fully and work your palms flat to the floor.

This is the first stretch I'd give anyone because tight hamstrings are almost universal. If you sit for work, drive a lot, or train legs without stretching afterward - your hamstrings are tight. This one stretch done consistently can make a noticeable difference in how your lower back feels within a few weeks.

2. Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch

Targets: Hip flexors and quads (front of the hip and thigh).

Kneel on one knee with your other foot flat on the floor in front of you, both knees at roughly 90 degrees. Keeping your torso upright, shift your hips gently forward until you feel a stretch across the front of your back hip. Do 30 seconds each side.

Easy version: small shift forward, hands resting on your front knee. Harder version: squeeze the glute of your back leg as you push your hips further forward. You can also reach the arm on the kneeling side overhead for a deeper stretch through the entire front line of your body.

Your hip flexors shorten every time you sit. If you work at a desk, these muscles are almost certainly tighter than they should be. This stretch directly counteracts that.

3. Butterfly stretch

Targets: Adductors (inner thighs) and glutes.

Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together, knees dropped out to the sides. Sit up tall and gently press your knees toward the ground.

Easy version: sit upright and hold the position, letting gravity do the work on your knees. Harder version: fold your chest forward toward your feet, reaching your forehead toward your toes.

This one is a two-for-one - it stretches your inner thighs and your glutes in a single position. If you feel tight or restricted in squats, this stretch will help.

4. Pigeon stretch

Targets: Glutes and deep hip rotators.

From a kneeling position, bring one leg forward with your knee bent and your shin angled across your body. Extend your other leg straight behind you. Square your hips as much as you can toward the front. Do 30 seconds each side.

Easy version: stay upright with your hands on the floor for support. Keep the front shin at a comfortable angle - it doesn't need to be parallel with your body. Harder version: fold your chest down over your front shin, walking your hands forward and letting your forehead drop toward the floor.

This is probably the single most impactful stretch in the whole routine. Your glutes and the smaller muscles underneath them control hip rotation, which affects how you walk, squat, and move in general. When these muscles are tight, everything downstream gets compromised. If you only had time for one stretch, I'd pick this one.

5. Cat-cow

Targets: Entire spine, core, and back muscles.

Start on your hands and knees, hands under shoulders, knees under hips. On an exhale, round your back toward the ceiling - tuck your tailbone, drop your head, and think about pushing the floor away. On an inhale, arch your back the other way - drop your belly, lift your chest and chin, and gently look upward. Move slowly between the two positions for 30 seconds.

Easy version: keep the movements small and gentle. Harder version: exaggerate each position - really round as much as you can, really arch as much as you can. Pause for a beat at the top and bottom of each movement.

This is less of a hold and more of a slow, rhythmic movement. It mobilises your entire spine through flexion and extension, which is exactly what you need if your back feels stiff from sitting. It also warms up your core muscles, which is why a lot of coaches use it at the start of a session.

6. Chest Pulse

Targets: Chest and front of shoulders.

Stand in a doorway and place your forearms on the door frame, elbows at roughly shoulder height. Step one foot forward through the doorway and lean gently until you feel a stretch across your chest and the front of your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds.

Easy version: hands lower on the frame, small lean forward. Harder version: hands higher on the frame (above shoulder height), bigger lean through the doorway.

This is the antidote to the rounded posture that comes from desk work, phone scrolling, and most chest-focused gym exercises. Your chest and front shoulders get tight, your upper back rounds forward, and you end up with that hunched position. This stretch opens everything back up.

Putting it together

The full routine looks like this:

1. Standing forward fold — 30 seconds
2. Hip flexor stretch — 30 seconds each side
3. Butterfly stretch — 30 seconds
4. Pigeon stretch — 30 seconds each side
5. Cat-cow — 30 seconds
6. Doorway chest stretch — 30 seconds

Total time: about 4-5 minutes for one round. If you have a bit more time, go through it twice. That's still under 10 minutes and you'll have hit every major muscle group with enough volume to start seeing real changes.

Do this 3-4 days per week. That's it. If you want to do it more often, go for it - there's no downside to daily stretching as long as you're not pushing into pain. But 3-4 days is the minimum that actually produces results.

Making it stick

The routine itself is simple. The hard part is doing it consistently. Here's what actually works.

Attach it to something you already do. Don't try to find a random slot in your day for stretching - bolt it onto an existing habit. Stretch right after every gym session. Stretch every morning while your coffee brews. Stretch every evening while you watch something on your phone. When it's attached to a routine you already have, it stops being a separate thing you have to remember.

Start with 3 days a week, not 7. People go all-in on day one, try to stretch every day, miss a day by week two, feel like they've failed, and quit. Commit to 3 specific days. Once that feels automatic (usually after 3-4 weeks), add a fourth day. Build the habit before you build the volume.

The whole routine is shorter than scrolling Instagram. That's not motivational fluff - it's a literal fact. One round is 4-5 minutes. If you can scroll your phone for 10 minutes before bed, you can stretch for 5 of those minutes instead. The time barrier is not real.

Track it. A checkmark on a calendar, a note in your phone, a tick in a workout app. Doesn't matter how - just mark each session done. Seeing a streak of completed sessions is surprisingly motivating, especially in the first few weeks when the flexibility gains are still building.

When to progress to a structured program

This routine is a starting point. It covers the basics, it's backed by research, and it works - but it's intentionally simple. After 3-4 weeks of consistency, you'll likely want more variety, harder progressions, and a plan that adapts as your flexibility improves.

That's where a structured program makes a difference. Instead of doing the same 6 stretches indefinitely, a progressive plan introduces new movements each week, increases the difficulty gradually, and gives you a clear path from where you are now to where you want to be.

If your goal is general full body flexibility and mobility, Full Body Flexy is the natural next step. It's a 12-week program that builds on the same principles in this guide - short sessions, consistent frequency, progressive overload - with video coaching for every exercise and a built-in tracker so you can see how far you've come.

If you've been stretching for a while and have a specific goal like the middle splits or front splits, the Flexy Bundle gives you all three of David's programs at a discounted price.

All programs are available on the Ganbaru Method app with detailed video tutorials, exercise swaps, progress tracking, and coaching support.

Stay flexy.