Want the Best Stretching App? Here’s a Trainer’s Recs

So I made a decision to check drive a bunch of stretching apps to see if there have been any that may actually make me wish to follow a consistent stretching routine. Seems, 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 pliability 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 one in every of my hang ups with getting myself to consistently stretch is that I often overlook the worth of stretching and I don’t see plenty of progress with it. By having to discover certain goals, after which feeling like I even have a customized routine tailored to me, I felt more motivated to truly 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 subsequent suggested stretching workouts and challenges. (You’ll be able to even upload progress pictures to the app to maintain track of improvements in your flexibility.)

Details:

• Price: $19.99 monthly or $160 per yr 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

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

One other great feature of this stretching app is that there are specific routines based in your needs. For instance, you possibly can select warm-up stretches, stretches to enhance flexibility, stretches to assist you loosen up 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 all the way down to the precise stretches they’ve the time and wish for without plenty of filler. As an illustration, 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 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 might be costly should you want the premium features, but there are some decent free stretching apps. My pick for the very best free stretching app is Start Stretching.

While there are in-app purchases should you want upgrades, you possibly can access just about any of the stretching content you would like without paying a penny. Plus, should you 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, should you are in search of 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.

Alternatively, should you’re an absolute beginner who needs somewhat more instruction on how you can stretch accurately, this may not be the very best introduction since there aren’t any videos, just illustrations. Perhaps when you learn a few of the very best 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.

Many of the stretching workouts are fairly lengthy, which might be good or bad, depending in your interest in stretching and the way much time you wish 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 necessary, than flexibility for my very own needs as an athlete, in addition to for on a regular basis functional movement for most individuals.

You’ll be able to deal with a particular body part or flexibility goal daily, and there are thorough videos that walk you thru the stretches. That said, this can be a stretching app for athletes and CrossFitters so it’s somewhat bit more advanced and the video tutorials is perhaps complicated for somebody with a limited understanding of body parts and fitness generally.

For me, because a lot of the stretching workouts on this app are 15 to twenty minutes long, I felt somewhat 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’s the very best app for stretching and adaptability?

Call me “basic,” but my advice for the very best 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 will have, body part, goal, etc. I actually love the challenges, which make me more inclined to truly use the app and stretch. Isn’t that the purpose?