I’m a PT, and I stretch for 5 minutes every day—here’s why that’s the magic number

January 24, 2020 by CWC

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I always decide how long I’m going to stretch for based on the scenario. If it’s the end of a workout class and we have one minute to stretch things out, that’s all I’ll do. If I’m working out on my own, it all depends on my schedule. Ask a physical therapist, though—AKA someone who stretches people for a living—and they’ll have a very specific answer for how long you should stretch for, regardless of the activity.

Meghan King, DPT, a physical therapist with Spear Physical Therapy, bases her stretching routine off of actual studies. The time frame? “It’s at least a 30-second hold for static stretching,” she says, noting that studies have even shown that holding stretches for longer than that don’t give you a greater short-term flexibility boost. “I’ll do multiple holds of 30 seconds, usually three times in a row. That’s what literature says you really need in order to get those long-term flexibility gains,” she says. “Holding it longer won’t necessarily give you any more bang for your buck.”

“It’s at least a 30-second hold for static stretching.” —Meghan King, DPT

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Of course, this doesn’t mean that King is done with her recovery regimen in 90 seconds flat. Her philosophy is to mark off a specific number of minutes minimum to spend stretching out her body. “For me, I tell myself that I’ll do five minutes [of stretching] before I shower,” she says. “Anything is better than nothing, and people have the tendency to hit the shower right when they’re done with a workout, but a lot of times I find that those five minutes will turn into longer once I get going.” So the five-minute time hold ensures she can give her muscles a mini-TLC sesh, even in a time crunch—a trick I’m stealing, ASAP.

To get moving, here’s how a pro stretcher says you can achieve hip decompression for always-tight hips. Also bookmark this 12-move dynamic stretching routine that’ll open up your body from head to toe. 

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Author Rachel Lapidos | Well and Good
Selected by CWC