You don’t just want to stretch your muscles—you want to make them stronger, too. This five-move routine, designed by a personal trainer (that’s me), requires only an exercise mat and some optional props. It combines flexibility and strength, helping you move with ease while engaging your joints and muscles.
The goal is to build full-body flexibility and expand your range of motion through dynamic movements—actions that mobilize your joints instead of holding a static stretch. By the end, you’ll feel taller, longer, stronger, and more aligned.
This refreshing “stretch and flow” session takes just 10 minutes and leaves your body centered, energized, and ready for the day.
The Routine Step by Step
Cat-Cow
Start with the cat-cow to stretch your front body and abdomen while mobilizing the spine. This is your chance to center yourself and leave distractions behind.
Focus on inhaling as you lower your stomach and exhaling as you round your upper back. Sync your breath with each movement, completing 9–10 gentle rounds.
Glute Kickbacks
Next, move into glute kickbacks. Aim for 8–12 reps per side. You can add a resistance band above your knees or work with just your bodyweight.
This exercise stretches the hip flexors and activates the gluteus maximus. Squeeze your glutes at the top of each lift, keep your hips square, and avoid arching your lower back. Move slowly and with control.
Fire Hydrants
After your kickbacks, transition to fire hydrants for 8–12 reps per leg. Use a band or bodyweight, focusing on your outer glutes (gluteus medius). Keep your hips square and avoid rotating your back. Let the leg lift come from your hip, moving sideways with precision.
Once complete, either repeat the kickbacks and hydrants for another round or move on to the next exercise.
Bear Squats
Begin bear squats from a tabletop position. Hover your knees just above the mat a few times to engage your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core. Keep your back flat, gaze forward, and pull your stomach inward as you lift your knees.
Then, perform 8–12 bear squats, maintaining a controlled, stable posture throughout.
Pigeon Stretch
Finish with the pigeon stretch. You can move into this from a downward-facing dog, pedaling your feet to release tension. Sit upright or hinge forward at the hips to deepen the stretch into your glutes.
Keep your hips square, avoid placing pressure on your knees, and use a cushion if needed. Hold each side for 1–2 minutes, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. If this position feels uncomfortable, try the 90/90 stretch as an alternative.
Why It Matters
Stretching improves flexibility, which helps prevent injuries by reducing muscle tension and strain. Mobility—your joints’ range of motion—is equally important, allowing limbs to move freely and safely around joints.
Combining strength, control, and dynamic movement increases your overall functional mobility, enhancing how your body moves in daily life. Together, flexibility and mobility reveal how efficiently you move and support your long-term physical health.
