Flexibility and mobility are often seen as something only dancers or yogis need, but they are essential for everyday life. Flexibility is how far your muscles can stretch (like touching your toes), while mobility is how well your joints can move through their full range of motion (like reaching behind your back). Improving both reduces your risk of injury, relieves muscle tension, improves posture, and keeps you feeling youthful and capable.

Here are 10 practical tips to make stretching and mobility an effective part of your daily routine:

1. Warm Up Before Static Stretching

Never stretch a “cold” muscle aggressively. Stretching before your muscles are warm can lead to tears and injury. Before you do any static stretching (holding a stretch for a long time), spend 5-10 minutes with light cardio, like brisk walking, marching in place, or cycling at a low intensity.

2. Stretch After Your Workout

The best time for static stretching is when your muscles are already warm and pliable, typically after a workout. This is when you can safely lengthen your muscle fibers, which is the key to increasing long-term flexibility. Hold each static stretch for at least 30 seconds.

3. Use Dynamic Stretching as a Warm-Up

For your pre-workout warm-up, focus on dynamic stretching. This involves movement that prepares your muscles for the activity ahead. Examples include arm circles, leg swings, and walking lunges. Dynamic stretches increase blood flow and warm up your joints without compromising muscle strength.

4. Focus on the Major Muscle Groups

Concentrate your efforts on the largest areas that tend to get tight from daily activities: the hips (hip flexors), hamstrings, lower back, chest, and shoulders. For example, if you sit all day, focus on the hip flexor stretch (kneeling lunge) and chest opener stretches.

5. Never Push to the Point of Pain

A good stretch should feel like a gentle, manageable pull or tension, but never a sharp or stabbing pain. Pain means your muscle is resisting or tearing. Ease back slightly to a comfortable level of tension and hold the stretch there. As an analogy, think of your muscle like taffy; pull it slowly and gently, not quickly and hard.

6. Do Not Bounce Your Stretches

Avoid “ballistic” or bouncy stretching. Quick, jerky movements cause a reflex that makes your muscle tighten up instantly, which defeats the purpose of the stretch and significantly increases your risk of injury. Always move into a stretch slowly and smoothly.

7. Hydrate for Flexibility

Dehydrated muscles are less flexible and more prone to cramping and injury. Water is crucial for lubricating the tissues and joints. Think of your muscles like a sponge: a dry sponge is brittle, but a well-watered sponge is soft and pliable. Ensure you drink water consistently throughout the day.

8. Use Mobility Drills for Joint Health

Flexibility is about muscle length, but mobility is about joint movement. Incorporate daily mobility drills, even for 5 minutes. Try doing Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs), where you slowly move a joint (like your shoulder or hip) in the biggest, most controlled circle you can manage. This nourishes the joint cartilage.

9. Incorporate Foam Rolling

A foam roller acts like a deep tissue massage to work out knots and tension in the fascia (the connective tissue around your muscles). Using a foam roller for a few minutes before or after stretching can help release tight spots, allowing the muscle to stretch more effectively.

10. Make It a Daily Habit

Flexibility and mobility are a “use it or lose it” scenario. You don’t need a huge block of time, but consistency is key. Even 5 to 10 minutes of gentle stretching or a yoga routine every morning, evening, or on work breaks will yield greater results than one intense session per week.