That's a bit of a stretch

February 6, 2018 7:35 AM

I've seen this question on daily stretches and the answers are helpful, but I would like a bit of a routine that I could follow. Obviously there's heaps on you tube but I'd prefer a MeFi recommendation! So, would anyone care to recommend a particular video or app (Android, free or once-off payment) to take me through say 5 or 10 minutes of stretching? I'd particularly like to focus on flexibility since I basically don't have any right now. Thanks!
posted by pianissimo to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

Best answer: I've been following several yoga channels on YouTube lately and for this I recommend Yoga with Adriene. Please be aware there's likely YouTube autoplay/ads at these links. Here is a playlist of practices under 10 minutes and here is a playlist of videos for nighttime routines, some of which are too long for your purposes but the shorter ones may be a good level to explore at first. I find her approach accessible, she labels her videos specifically, and I like the way she explains the poses. There's usually minimal or no music, so I can put my own playlist on low in the background.
posted by juliplease at 10:08 AM on February 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

I'm fond of the Nike Training Club app. They have tons of workouts available, and about a third are focused on mobility/flexibility and many are targeted for particular sports/goals (e.g. flexibility for runners, etc). They range from about 6 minutes to 45 or so, with a lot clocking in between 10-20 minutes.
posted by snaw at 11:17 AM on February 6, 2018

Best answer: I quite like this one by Joanna Soh, "Morning Stretches to Power Your Day". It's about 5-6 minutes long.
posted by exceptinsects at 11:29 AM on February 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm a huge fan of RomWOD.com, which is targeted to lifters and performance athletes, but is really just daily yin yoga routines. They're a little longer than what you're looking for, 15-20 minutes (with shortened versions available daily, and longer, 45 minute sessions offered once a week). But it's very relaxing and effective, and I look forward to doing it every day. It's $14 a month, but well worth it, and if you have a friend who also wants to try it you could share a membership. You can save your favorite routines and do those or just do the one they suggest for the day. I've never been terribly flexible, but in the almost two years I've been doing this I've made a lot of progress on these poses. Bonus--it's a nice mindfulness meditation practice if you do the suggested breathing exercises as well.
posted by Fuego at 12:00 PM on February 6, 2018

This ios stretching app runs you through 9 stretches in about 6 minutes. It doesn't look like there's an android version, but that might be a jumping off point.
posted by benbenson at 2:31 PM on February 6, 2018