5 Invigorating Stretches to Slot In Between Bed-Rotting Sessions
This article is part of SELF’s third annual Rest Week, an editorial package dedicated to doing less. Taking care of yourself, physically and emotionally, is impossible without genuine downtime. With that in mind, we’ll be publishing articles up until the new year to help you make a habit of taking breaks, chilling out, and slowing down. (And we’re taking our own advice: The SELF staff will be OOO during this time!) We hope to inspire you to take it easy and get some rest, whatever that looks like for you.
As you can see, we’re all for taking intentional time to relax and unwind. But there’s a flipside to vegging out for long durations: It can leave your body feeling tight, achy, and all-around cranky. And that’s not exactly restorative.
So what’s a chill-seeking person to do? We have an idea: A quick stretch sequence that can boost your mobility and loosen up tense areas so you can more comfortably unwind. Created for SELF by registered yoga instructor Tahl Rinsky, a master trainer with Centr, this five-move routine hits on the main muscle groups that can tighten up after lots of time sitting on your butt: your hip flexors, glutes, lower back, and shoulders.
You’ll start with the lunging hip flexor stretch, a standing move that targets your front hip muscles. Then, you’ll get your blood flowing a little with the forward to reverse lunge, an exercise that lengthens your hip flexors some more, along with your hamstrings, while also delivering bonus balance and stability work. Next up is the cat-cow, a dynamic yoga pose that’s great for mobilizing your lower back, which can get cranky after long periods of staying still. Then, you’ll target your upper-body—specifically your shoulders, neck, and upper back—with thread the needle, since those areas can become stiff from inactivity too. Finally, you’ll finish with figure-four, a classic stretch that can loosen up tight outer hips and glutes.
Doing this routine on the reg can help to “counteract stiffness, improve flexibility, and promote better alignment,” Rinsky tells SELF, which is really key after spending hours on the couch reading, catching up on your fave shows, doing some crafts—whatever your mode of relaxation may be. You may also get a mental boost from this flow, since moving your body (in addition to giving yourself downtime!) can be really helpful for managing everyday-life stress, Rinsky says. Another perk of this routine: You don’t need a ton of time to knock it out. In fact, the sequence will take you less than five minutes total, making it super easy to slot into your Netflix marathon or bed rotting session.
Of course, if your body is craving more movement, you can repeat it or prolong the amount of time you do each move, Rinksy says. You could also do it several times throughout the day, she adds—for example, once in the morning to set a relaxing tone for your day, once midday to relieve stiff muscles, and once before bed to help you unwind before your head hits the pillow. As Rinsky puts it, there’s “never a bad time to prioritize your health and your body.”
With that ethos, here’s all the info you need for a quick-yet-invigorating stretch sequence to help feel—and rest!—your best.
The Workout
What you need: Just your bodyweight! You may also want a yoga mat for comfort.
Exercises
- Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch
- Forward to Reverse Lunge
- Cat-Cow
- Thread the Needle
- Figure-Four Stretch
Directions
Do the following moves, holding or performing reps of each for the duration of time listed. You can do them in the order listed, or mix it up if a different sequence feels better for you. “Any order is fine,” Rinsky says.
- Meiko Arquillos
Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch
- Kneel on your right knee. Place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you, knee bent.
- Lean forward slightly, stretching your right hip toward the floor.
- Squeeze your butt; this will allow you to stretch your hip flexor even more. You should feel this in your right hip flexor.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Sitting for long periods of time can shorten up your hip flexors and often cause discomfort in both your hips and lower back, Rinsky explains. That’s because those areas are connected, so tightness in one spot can lead to issues in the other. This stretch combats all that by loosening up the front of your hips.
- Katie Thompson
Forward to Reverse Lunge
- Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lift your right foot, step forward about 2 feet, and plant it firmly on the floor. Bend both knees until your right quad and left shin are approximately parallel to the floor. Your torso should lean slightly forward so your back is flat and not arched or rounded. Your right knee should be above your right foot and your butt and core should be engaged.
- Push through the heel of your right foot to return to the starting position.
- Then, step your right foot back about 2 feet, landing on the ball of your foot and keeping your heel off the floor. Bend both knees until your left quad and right shin are approximately parallel to the floor. Your torso should lean slightly forward so your back is flat and not arched or rounded. Your left knee should be above your left foot and your butt and core should be engaged.
- Push through the heel of your left foot to return to the starting position. That's 1 rep.
- Continue performing reps for 30 seconds, then repeat for another 30 seconds with the other leg.
You may think of the lunge as a strength move, but it’s also a great dynamic stretch. Specifically, it helps lengthen your hip flexors and hamstrings—two areas that can tighten up from lots of couch time—while also delivering stability and balance work.
- Katie Thompson
Cat-Cow
- Start in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked directly over your wrists and hips over your knees.
- Slowly inhale, and on the exhale, round your spine, dropping your head toward the floor and lifting your belly toward the ceiling. This is cat pose.
- On the next inhale, lift your head, chest, and tailbone toward the ceiling, arching your lower back. This is cow pose.
- Continue performing reps for 30 seconds.
Another dynamic stretch, this classic yoga pose boosts overall spinal mobility and reduces stiffness in your lower back specifically. “It gently mobilizes the spine, easing tightness and improving posture,” Rinsky says.
- Katie Thompson
Thread the Needle
- Start in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked directly over your wrists and hips over your knees.
- Reach your right arm underneath your left and across your body with your palm facing up.
- Bend your left elbow as you gently lean into your right side; you should feel a stretch in the back of your right shoulder.
- Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
Being sedentary for long stretches of time doesn’t just do a number on your lower body—it can tighten things up in your shoulders, neck, and upper back, too. This stretch targets those areas to help loosen your upper body.
Figure-Four Stretch
- Lie on your back.
- Cross your right foot over your left quad, and bend your left knee.
- Hold the back of your left leg and gently pull it toward your chest.
- When you feel a comfortable stretch, hold there for at least 30 seconds.
- Repeat on the other side.
Sitting on your butt can tighten it up and also shorten your outer hip muscles. This stretch helps release tension in both areas, Rinsky says. For more of a challenge (especially to your balance), you can perform this stretch from a standing position.
Demoing the moves above are Jessica Rihal (GIF 1), a plus-sized yoga instructor (200-HR) and a strong advocate of fitness/wellness for all bodies; Morit Summers (GIF 2), a Brooklyn-based trainer and the owner of body-positive gym, Form Fitness Brooklyn; and Rebecca Davis(GIFs 3-5), a yoga and cycling instructor at Lifetime Fitness and Bakerstreet Yoga.
Related:
- How to Do the Clam Shell Exercise to Fire Up Your Side-Butt
- The Case for True Rest Over ‘Active Recovery’
- 6 Feel-Good Stretches to Help You Unwind and Recharge
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SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
