The 4 Best Stretching Apps To Loosen All Your Tight Muscles, Ranked by a Certified Trainer

So I made a decision to check drive a bunch of stretching apps to see if there have been any that will actually make me need to follow a consistent stretching routine. Turns out, there are 4 that I can really get behind and recommend.

Best overall: StretchIt

As a competitive athlete, StretchIt was my favorite stretching app since it takes the flexibleness aspect of fitness and makes it goal-oriented. You select your personal goals after which the app creates specific workouts and challenges for you based on those targets.

I feel that certainly one of my hang ups with getting myself to consistently stretch is that I often overlook the worth of stretching and I don’t see numerous progress with it. By having to discover certain goals, after which feeling like I actually have a customized routine tailored to me, I felt more motivated to really do the stretching routines on this app.

After each stretching class or workout, you possibly can rate how the stretches felt and this information is used to assist personalize the following suggested stretching workouts and challenges. (You may even upload progress pictures to the app to maintain track of improvements in your flexibility.)

Details:

• Price: $19.99 monthly or $160 per 12 months after the free trial
• Average customer review: 4.8 stars
• Pros: personalized routines, user-friendly interface, means that you can track progress
• Cons: expensive

Best for beginners: Stretch & Flexibility at Home

If you only need to learn the fundamentals of stretching, I’d recommend the Stretch & Flexibility at Home app. There is each voice and video guidance for all the stretches, which makes it super helpful for learning tips on how to stretch specific muscles. (Though to be honest, the audio instructions are a bit creepy since the voice is computer-generated.)

Another great feature of this stretching app is that there are specific routines based in your needs. For example, you possibly can select warm-up stretches, stretches to enhance flexibility, stretches to allow you to chill out before bed, or stretches for specific muscle groups that feel tight. This customization is a pleasant feature for anyone who just desires to get right right down to the precise stretches they’ve the time and wish for without numerous filler. For instance, as a runner, I particularly liked that there are stretching workouts designed for cooling down after a run or loosening up tight muscles from running.

Details:

• Price: $4.99 monthly after a free trial (a free version can also be available)
• Average customer review: 4.8 stars
• Pros: Video and voice-guided stretches, focused routines, reasonable price
• Cons: The free version is pretty barebones, voiceovers are computer-generated

Best free stretching app: Start Stretching

Many fitness apps may be costly for those who want the premium features, but there are some decent free stretching apps. My pick for the most effective free stretching app is Start Stretching.

While there are in-app purchases for those who want upgrades, you possibly can access just about any of the stretching content you would like without paying a penny. Plus, for those who don’t have much time or interest in stretching, almost all the stretching exercises are quite short and you continue to feel like you might be accomplishing something.

That said, for those who are on the lookout for advanced flexibility exercises, this may not be an appropriate stretching app for you. The library is restricted and a lot of the stretches are fairly basic.

On the opposite hand, for those who’re an absolute beginner who needs a little bit more instruction on tips on how to stretch accurately, this may not be the most effective introduction since there aren’t any videos, just illustrations. Perhaps when you learn a few of the most effective stretches from other apps, you possibly can cancel a premium subscription after which use this free stretching app to maintain working towards your stretching goals.

Details:

• Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
• Average customer review: 4.9 stars
• Pros: Free, beginner-friendly stretches, short routines
• Cons: Limited library, no video or audio (only illustrations)

Best for stretching enthusiasts: Pliability

The Pliability stretching app (formerly called ROMWOD, which stood for range of motion workout of the day) is somewhat unique. It was created specifically for athletes to enhance flexibility, and is especially popular amongst CrossFit enthusiasts.

Most of the stretching workouts are fairly lengthy, which may be good or bad, depending in your interest in stretching and the way much time you need to devote to stretching workouts.

For me personally, I liked the emphasis on mobility in addition to flexibility, because I feel like mobility is equally, if no more essential, than flexibility for my very own needs as an athlete, in addition to for on a regular basis functional movement for most individuals.

You can concentrate on a selected body part or flexibility goal each day, and there are thorough videos that walk you thru the stretches. That said, it is a stretching app for athletes and CrossFitters so it’s a little bit bit more advanced and the video tutorials could be complicated for somebody with a limited understanding of body parts and fitness usually.

For me, because a lot of the stretching workouts on this app are 15 to twenty minutes long, I felt a little bit intimidated or unmotivated to make use of the app since I don’t at all times have that much time to devote to stretching. (Though to be fair, that may just say something about my priorities.)

Details:

• Price: $13.99 monthly
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 stars
• Pros: Combines mobility and adaptability, thorough videos
• Cons: Not beginner-friendly, long workouts, on the pricier side

Verdict: What is the most effective app for stretching and adaptability?

Call me “basic,” but my suggestion for the most effective stretching app is StretchIt. It has an easy-to-use interface, and you possibly can sort stretching workouts based on the period of time you’ve, body part, goal, etc. I actually love the challenges, which make me more inclined to really use the app and stretch. Isn’t that the purpose?