Unless you regularly practice yoga or make it a point to include lunges or butterflies as part of your usual routine, you might not be stretching much on a day-to-day basis. For many people, stretching is reserved for specific moments, like before a workout or when muscles feel especially tight.
But is it wise to stretch so infrequently, especially as aging naturally reduces mobility and flexibility? And which stretches are actually worth doing?
Health asked experts in orthopedics, pain management, and physical therapy to share their insights—along with their top stretching recommendations.
Before we get into when you should be stretching, it’s important to understand what’s actually happening inside during all of that reaching and posing.
Stretching engages two major body systems: the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system. When you first begin to stretch, the spindle reflex initially causes the muscle to contract. As the stretch is held for longer, the muscles and tendons start to lengthen. At that point, specialized receptors in muscle tissue—called Golgi tendon organs and muscle spindles—get involved.
Those receptors are “monitoring the tension and length of these muscles, sending feedback to our nervous system about what’s safe and appropriate,” said Raj Desai, MD, a board-certified physician of physical medicine and rehabilitation and interventional pain medicine in Los Angeles.
Over time, stretching helps train the nervous system to tolerate a greater range of motion, added Joseph Hribick, PT, DPT, a clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at Lebanon Valley College. In other words: The more you stretch, the more you can stretch.
In short, a lot. “Stretching reduces muscle tightness, improves joint mobility, and helps us move properly,” Hribick said.
Research has found a link between even one session of acute stretching and a decrease in stiffness, and that acute stretching can improve range of motion.
This matters when it comes to maintaining functionality as we age. “It’s not about who can touch their toes or do a split,” Desai said. “It’s more about can you cross your legs to put on your shoes or can you reach overhead to get something?”
But while stretching clearly has major benefits, there are some things it may not do.
According to a 2025 consensus statement involving 20 experts, regular stretching alone may not reliably prevent workout-related bone or joint injuries, improve posture, or promote recovery after exercising.
And it might not be a complete fix for all pain and stiffness, which could also be caused by muscle weakness, noted Vijay Jotwani, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician at Houston Methodist. “Stretching is sort of secondary, in my opinion, to strengthening,” he said. “For someone who’s trying to get into shape, start with bodyweight strengthening exercises.”
Even if stretching doesn’t live up to its hype in every area, experts strongly agree it’s still worth doing.
Though regular stretching isn’t a foolproof way to prevent all exercise-related injuries, Hribick said dynamic stretching—that is, stretching through movement, such as arm circles or leg swings—before activity can help reduce your risk.
He recommends static stretching, or holding a stretch while staying still for a minute or longer, after a workout to support recovery and long-term flexibility. “For most people, moderate intensity is safest and most effective,” he noted.
But stretching daily—regardless of whether it’s before or after exercise—can also be beneficial, both in the short term and over time.
“Five to 10 minutes of stretching in the morning can really counteract any stiffness you feel, whether it’s in your hips, your shoulders, or your back,” Desai said.
Additionally, daily stretching can help fend off age-related pain and mobility issues in the long run. “If you were to start the day by stretching your joints and stretching your hamstrings, you will be able to minimize the pain that reliably comes from those lifelong, degenerative changes,” said Miami-based orthopedic spine surgeon Georgiy Brusovanik, MD.
Inspired to add daily stretching to your routine but not sure where to start? The stretches you choose should depend on your age, physical ability, and which areas of the body need the most attention.
That said, most of us spend too much time sitting and looking down at phones and laptops. To help counteract the discomfort this can cause throughout the body, Hribick recommends focusing on the following areas:
While stretching might cause slight discomfort or a bit of “good” pain, it should never be truly painful. If you feel sharp pain while stretching, or if tightness doesn’t improve after a few stretch sessions, it’s best to consult an orthopedic or sports medicine physician, or a physical therapist. The issue could be related to an unrelated condition that stretching alone won’t help, such as arthritis.
