I did a stretching routine every night before bed and was surprised at how effective it was

I’ve never been great at incorporating stretching into my routine, even though I work out a lot. I know this is not ideal as stretching has immense benefits, from helping to prevent injuries to increasing flexibility—it also just feels good. So, I decided to make it a mission to incorporate it more regularly.

I started small by doing a simple stretching routine every evening before bed. I thought this would be good not only for my physical fitness but could help improve my sleep too. I committed to a week to see what happened.

What happened when I started stretching every night before bed

I looked forward to the sessions

I usually only stretch before or after a workout but doing it to wind down from the day was a game changer. I felt so relaxed and it helped to calm my mind and body down; I was immediately hooked. My muscles felt great and after the first night and I looked forward to the rest of the week.

It released built-up tension from the day

I found a slow and easy five-minute routine on YouTube for the first night but soon expanded into longer routines. Moves like the supine spinal twist, neck stretch and child’s pose appeared frequently across the videos I tried. Some routines also introduced stretches for less commonly targeted areas, such as the wrists and forearms. As a writer who spends hours at her computer, these stretches were particularly beneficial. It felt great to give attention to often-used yet under-stretched parts of the body.

It helped me wind down

I found that incorporating a stretching routine at this time of day suited me perfectly. It helped me to neatly wrap up the day and eased any lingering stress. After each evening’s stretch, I felt myself melt into bed. As someone who avoids meditation, this felt like a happy medium, offering me relaxation benefits while also giving my body the physical release it needed.

Yoga mats for stretching routines

You don't need to invest in any equipment to do some gentle stretching before bed, but you might find a mat makes the sessions more enjoyable. Here are three products from our round-up of the best yoga mats .