While often ignored, stretching and mobility sessions are among the most important parts of any fitness routine. Really, there’s no better way to protect your muscles and joints, prevent injuries, and alleviate everyday aches and pains.
Experts in This Article
Enter: This 5-minute stretching routine created by Or Artzi, CPT, a lead group fitness instructor at Equinox and creator of the fitness platform Orriors. With gentle moves that target your back, legs, arms, and abs, you’ll feel good as new.
Join the club
If you’re following along with our January 2025 Good Moves Club Winter Challenge (sign up here if you haven’t already!), this is the workout for day 3, week 1. You can follow along with Artzi and the full-length workout below.
The workout
You’ll need an elevated surface to complete this workout. You can use a stair, step, sturdy box, or even stacked mats. Do each exercise for 30-60 seconds. Complete one round.
1. Cat-cow pose (Marjaryasana Bitilasana)
- 1.Start on all fours with your hands and knees on the floor. Align your elbows and shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
- 2.Slowly arch your spine, dropping your belly toward the floor. Look up as you draw your tailbone toward the ceiling (cow pose).
- 3.Slowly transition into a rounded spine, tucking your chin toward your spine as you tilt your pelvis forward (cat pose).
- 4.Continue alternating between cow and cat poses.
2. World’s greatest stretch (alternating sides)
- 1.Start in a high plank with your feet hip-width apart and your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
- 2.Step your right foot forward and place it outside of your right hand.
- 3.Keeping your hips square, lift your right hand toward the ceiling, rotating your chest toward your right leg. Allow your gaze to follow your fingertips.
- 4.Pause, then return your right hand to the floor and extend your right leg back to plank position.
- 5.Repeat on the opposite side.
- 6.Continue alternating sides.
3. Quadruped T-spine mobility (left side, then right side)
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