Morning stretches.
Daily mobility.
The kind of stretching that actually fits in a real morning — five to ten minutes, no equipment, no yoga mat required. Plus targeted routines for stiff hips, tight hamstrings, and the IT band that nobody warned you about.
Morning stretches for adults getting back in motion.
The first 30 minutes after waking up are when your body is at its stiffest. Spending five minutes there sets up the rest of the day — better posture at the desk, less neck tension, hip mobility that doesn't come back as low-back pain at 4 p.m.
Read the full guide →Morning stretches when you've spent decades sitting.
Men who sat at desks through their 20s and 30s typically arrive at 40+ with predictable tightness: hip flexors locked short, thoracic spine rounded, hamstrings cranky. The good news: most of it loosens with consistent daily attention. The bad news: it took years to get tight, and it takes weeks of daily work to unwind.
Priority stretches: kneeling hip flexor (each side, 60s), cat-cow (10 reps), thoracic spine extensions over a foam roller or rolled towel (60s), pigeon pose if knees allow (60s each side). Total time: 8–10 minutes.
Morning stretches for seniors and post-rehab.
Age-related stiffness is real, but the answer isn't avoiding movement — it's daily, gentle, deliberate movement. The morning stretches that work best for older adults are seated or supported (chair or wall), focus on the joints that limit daily life (hips, shoulders, neck), and stay well within pain-free range.
If you're returning from a knee replacement, hip surgery, or extended time off your feet: please run any stretching plan past your physical therapist before adopting it. Mike works alongside PT recommendations, not instead of them.
Post-workout stretches that actually help.
The goal of post-workout stretching isn't flexibility — it's helping the nervous system shift from "go" to "recover." Hold each stretch 30–60 seconds, breathe slow, and target the muscles you just worked.
After leg day: figure-four glute stretch, standing quad stretch, seated hamstring fold, calf stretch on a step. After upper body: doorway pec stretch, cross-body lat stretch, child's pose for the upper back. Five minutes at the end of every session.
Stretches for hip pain — without making it worse.
"Hip pain" covers a lot of ground — tight hip flexors from sitting, glute medius weakness, IT band tension, hip impingement. The stretches that help one cause can aggravate another, which is why a one-size-fits-all hip routine is risky.
Generally safe daily moves: 90/90 hip switches (mobility, not flexibility), glute bridges (strengthen what's weak), gentle figure-four (stretch what's tight). What to avoid until you've identified the cause: aggressive forced stretching, end-range pulling, anything that increases the pain. If the pain is sharp, persistent, or worse after a week of gentle work, see a PT — that's outside Mike's lane.
IT band stretches for runners and weekend athletes.
The IT band itself doesn't really stretch — it's connective tissue that holds tension because the surrounding muscles (TFL, glute medius, vastus lateralis) are tight or weak. The fix isn't more aggressive IT band stretching; it's addressing the muscles that load it.
Read the full guide →Want the full Morning Stretches routine in your inbox?
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Stretching, answered.
How long should I stretch each morning?
Five to ten minutes is plenty. The goal of morning stretching isn't flexibility gains — it's waking up the body, increasing blood flow to stiff joints, and starting the day moving instead of sore. Hit a few key positions for 30–60 seconds each, breathe through them, and get on with your day.
Should I stretch before or after a workout?
Both, but differently. Before: dynamic stretches (leg swings, arm circles, walking lunges) — movement-based, blood-flowing, prep work. After: static stretches (hold the position) — for the muscles you just trained, while they're warm. Doing static stretching cold and pre-workout actually reduces strength output for the next 30 minutes.
What's the difference between static and dynamic stretching?
Static = hold the position (touch your toes, hold for 30 seconds). Dynamic = move through the position (leg swings, hip circles). Static is for after workouts and recovery. Dynamic is for warm-ups and morning routines. Most people do them backwards.
I'm tight in my hips from sitting all day. What helps?
A daily 5-minute hip routine: 90/90 hip switches, kneeling hip flexor stretch (each side), pigeon pose if your knees allow it, glute bridges. Most desk workers feel meaningful hip-mobility improvement in 2–3 weeks of daily work. The goal is consistency, not intensity.
Mike builds personal mobility plans for in-home training clients.
These articles cover the basics. The custom version — matched to your body, your stiffness, your goals — is what Mike does in person.