If You Think You’re “Not Flexible,” Try These 7 Moves to Loosen Up

Doing the splits and folding your forehead onto your thighs are cool party tricks, but the best flexibility benefits are functional–and you don’t need to be Gumby to reap them.

There are two main perks of adding a flexibility routine to your workout plan, according to Peter Mason, a Wyoming-based physical therapist and adjunct faculty member at Augustana University.

The first perk: when you release tight muscles, they can achieve their optimal length, allowing them to work more effectively. That’s because they’re able to produce more force and operate more efficiently, Mason says. This can translate to better performance in sports–from running to cycling to climbing.

Better muscle function can also enhance your ability to tackle everyday tasks, such as chasing your toddler around or hauling laundry up the stairs.

The second perk: better flexibility reduces the pain that comes from tight, stiff muscles, Mason says. This can translate to less discomfort as you move about your day, since you won’t be plagued by achy hip flexors or knots in your upper traps.

Anyone Can Get More Flexible with the Right Stretch Routine

The best part is that you can improve their flexibility with consistent stretching. Yes, this includes even the tightest and stiffest among us. By regularly incorporating static stretches (those where you get into a position that passively lengthens a muscle, and then pause to hold that position), you can relax chronically tight muscles. Mason likens it to silly putty: “If you pull it slowly, it will steadily deform over time,” he says. Essentially, by applying a sustained (not abrupt) load to your muscles, you can eventually stretch them out, he explains.

Just Make Sure You Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard

The key is to pick moves that are doable for your current level. That’s because forcing your way into a stretch can up your chances of injury–and it’s also just ineffective.

Instead of copying your yoga instructor or your wildly bendy friend, try the seven moves listed below. They’re beginner-friendly stretches designed to loosen up areas of the body that are commonly tight, and you don’t need the talents of a Cirque du Soleil performer to pull them off. All you need is a doorway, a chair, and a strap.

A 7-Move Flexibility Routine

Complete the stretches in the order listed below. Hold each for 30 seconds per side, then repeat once or twice more, before moving on to the next stretch on the list. (As you get comfortable with these moves, increase the duration to 60 seconds per side.)

Think about melting into the stretches, Mason advises. To get the maximum benefit, you need to be able to relax into these poses. If it feels like you’re forcing or fighting the movement, ease up.

You can do this routine every day. If pairing it with a workout, do these stretches afterwards as part of your cooldown. You can also sprinkle them into your day as one-offs instead of as part of a circuit.

What You Need to Perform This Routine: 

1. Doorway Stretch

The doorway stretch targets your pectorals (chest muscles), which are commonly tight in people who spend a lot of time in a forward, rounded position, including cyclists, desk workers, and anyone tethered to their smartphone. It’s good for inflexible folks because you can dial down the intensity of the stretch by simply reducing the forward lean.

How to Do It:

• Standing next to a doorway, bend your right elbow to 90 degrees with your fingers pointing up.
• Rest your right forearm on the doorway with your elbow slightly below shoulder height. Let your left arm hang by your side.
• Lean forward slightly and rotate to the left until you feel a stretch in the right chest and shoulder.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Switch sides and repeat.

2. Kneeling Lunge with Side Bend

This move lengthens your iliopsoas, a muscle group that helps flex the hips and connects to the lower back. Many people experience tightness in the iliopsoas due to prolonged periods of sitting, which can contribute to back and hip pain. Hip flexor tightness is also common in runners and cyclists. This stretch delivers a gentle way to combat that. It also lengthens the tensor fascia lata (another hip flexor muscle), obliques (muscles on the sides of your torso), and quadratus lumborum (a deep trunk muscle).

How to Do It: 

• Start in a kneeling position with both knees on the ground. Step your left foot forward, plant it firmly on the ground, and bend your left knee to a 90-degree angle. You’re now in a kneeling lunge position.
• Reach your right arm up and over your body as you tilt your torso slightly to the left. Stop when you feel a stretch at the front of your right hip and on the right side of your torso.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Switch sides and repeat.

3. Thoracic Extension Over Chair

This stretch helps open up your thoracic spine, which includes your upper and mid back, through extension. It can alleviate tightness caused by activities such as hunching over at a desk, scrolling on your phone, or cycling in an aero position. Doing it in a chair provides support for the lower back so you don’t strain that area.

How to Do It: 

• Sit tall in a chair with your lower back pressed against the backrest and your feet flat on the ground.
• Place your hands behind your head and keep your neck in a neutral position.
• While keeping your lower back pressed into the chair, arch your upper back over the top of the chair.
• You should feel a stretch in your upper and mid back.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

4. Supine Figure 4

The Supine Figure 4 stretches your butt muscles, specifically your piriformis, glute medius, and glute minimus. These areas can become tight with prolonged sitting. Performing the stretch on your back (versus standing or in a chair) is more beginner-friendly, as the ground supports your back and you can modify the movement to be less intense by simply stepping your feet out and lessening the bend in the knees.

How to Do It:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet firmly planted on the ground, arms resting by your sides.
• Lift your right leg and rest your right ankle on the top of your left thigh. Place your left hand in the crook of your left knee (you can use both hands if needed) and gently pull the left knee toward your chest. You should feel a stretch in your right glute.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Switch sides and repeat.

5. Supine Hamstring Stretch with Strap

Grab your strap! With this move, you’re lengthening the hamstrings, which shorten up from lots of time spent sitting. There are a bunch of different ways to stretch the hamstrings. This variation is good for folks who aren’t super flexible, since the supine position helps alleviate any discomfort you may feel in your back when stretching the hamstrings. The strap also makes the stretch more beginner-friendly, since it allows you to manipulate the intensity without compromising your form.

How to Do It: 

• You need a firm strap, like a belt or rope. Lie on your back and loop the strap around the middle of your right foot.
• Holding the strap firmly with both hands, flex your foot and extend your right leg straight up. You should feel a stretch in your right hamstring; it’s OK if your leg isn’t fully straight.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Switch sides and repeat.

6. Prone Quad Stretch with Strap

Tight quads are a common complaint among desk workers and endurance athletes who rely heavily on this muscle group, including runners and cyclists. This stretch loosens them up from a supported position–by lying on the ground, you remove the balance challenge inherent in the classic standing quad stretch. Plus, the strap makes quad stretching accessible to folks who struggle to bring their heel to their butt in that traditional standing quad stretch.

How to Do It: 

• Lie on your stomach with a strap looped around your right foot.
• Hold the strap firmly with both hands and use it to pull your right foot towards your right glute. Stop when you feel a stretch in the right quad.
• Hold for 30 seconds.
• Switch sides and repeat.

7. Child’s Pose

This classic yoga pose helps gently lengthen several areas at once, including the neck, back, shoulders, hips, and ankles. If you struggle to hold this pose comfortably, you can make it easier by placing a block or blanket underneath your forehead. That will reduce strain on the lower back.

How to Do It: 

• From an all fours position, push your hips back so your glutes rest on your heels.
• Open your knees to deepen the stretch.
• Reach your arms forward, pressing your palms into the ground, and lower your forehead to the ground.
• You should feel a stretch in your shoulders and back, especially the lats, which sit beneath your shoulder blades and extend from the mid to lower back.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

Want more Outside health stories? Sign up for the Bodywork newsletter. Ready to push yourself? Enter MapMyRun’s You vs. the Year 2025 running challenge.