Fitness
They're the perfect follow-up to her core workouts.
Nothing beats a good stretch after a long day of sitting at a desk, commuting, or lounging around in the exact same position. And the same is true if you just did an intense workout and can already feel the stiffness and soreness setting in. In these moments, the best thing you can do is roll out a yoga mat and try a few bendy moves.
One of the best places to find some muscle-lengthening routines? On YouTube, where Pamela Reif’s stretch videos serve as a perfect complement to the 25-year-old fitness expert’s intense core workout routines, sweat-inducing HIIT classes, and fun dance sessions. With nearly 9 million subscribers and countless views, Reif has developed a cult following for her short but spicy exercise sessions — but, thankfully, she balances things out with her offering of guided stretches.
Stretching is never a bad idea. If you just did a grueling workout, it might feel good to follow it up with a stretch sesh as a way to cool down and prevent sore muscles. In that case, look for one of Reif’s full-body stretch routines or a video curated for active rest days. By taking this time to recover, you’ll be able to jump back into your next workout without feeling too stiff or sore.
Of course, stretching is key even if you aren’t fresh out of a 10-minute ab challenge. Pull up one of Reif’s stretch videos if your back hurts, you feel yourself taking the shape of your desk chair, or whenever you’re stressed and need to calm down (which is easy since she always plays relaxing music). Here are her 7 best stretch videos to try.
5-Minute Daily Stretch
Been meaning to stretch more often? This quick video may help you turn it into a habit. At only five minutes long, it’s easy to do first thing in the morning, after a workout, or in the evening as a way to relax stiff muscles and get the blood flowing. It includes things like side-to-side stretches, neck circles, and cat-cow rolls, all set to Reif’s signature calming playlist.
8-Minute Desk Break Session
It’s super common to feel stiff after sitting at a desk, especially if you round your back to bend over a keyboard. In this video, Reif shows you how to loosen things up through a series of stretches designed to correct that posture and reduce body aches. She kicks things off with a shoulder stretch using a doorframe, followed by a deep back stretch, and then arm rotations. By the end, you’ll have forgotten that you spent the whole day sitting.
8-Minute Stretch For Back & Neck
You don’t have to do much moving to work through this simple routine that targets stiff neck and back muscles. In it, Reif guides you through neck rolls, thread the needles, and a flow-y stretch that moves between tabletop and child’s pose. Do it on a regular basis to keep your posture in better form.
10-Minute Full-Body Stretch
If you’re craving a relaxing stretch to do after a workout, this 10-minute routine — filmed by the water at sunset — will calm you down. It features arm circles, slow side lunges, and dynamic hip flexor stretches meant to work out your knots. At the end, Reif encourages you to kick back on your mat to take a few deep breaths so your body can truly zen out after your sweat session.
15-Minute Full-Body Stretch
In this 15-minute video, Reif shares a sequence of 30-second stretches that all help increase flexibility and mobility — think forward folds, downward dogs, and cobra pose. You can move through this flow on the daily — Reif says she likes to do it right before bed — or whenever you feel the need to do lengthen out your entire body.
30-Minute Stretch Routine
Reif recommends taking this 30-minute session on rest days between workouts, or whenever it seems like your body could use a little extra TLC. You don’t need any equipment: Just hop down onto the floor, stretch it out through moves like pigeon pose and side bends, and you’ll leave feeling brand new.
10-Minute Stretches For Stress Relief
This video is perfect for those days when you have an overflowing to-do list. It features a series of breaths and stretches meant to calm your nervous system and relax your body and mind, like seated spinal twists, a butterfly stretch, and — best of all — a nice, relaxing child’s pose. Also, no surprise here, but the video takes place in front of a serene water background to help you chill out. Aah.
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