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Training & movement

B · Reasonable confidence

How much static stretching gives the most flexibility

Subject: Optimal dosing of static stretching for flexibility

What this means

Static stretching made adults more flexible. Gains peaked at 4 minutes per session or 10 minutes per week; stretching more gave no extra gain.

Ingram LA, Tomkinson GR, d'Unienville NMA, Gower B, Gleadhill S, Boyle T, Bennett H · 2025 · Sports Medicine 55(3):597-617

What does this rating mean?

A solid systematic review with caveats, or consistent indications with a limited scope.

Findings

How much static stretching is needed to actually increase range of motion.

Who this applies to

Adults aged 18 and over; 61 percent men. Age and sex did not change the effect.

Size of the research

189 studies with 6654 adults in total.

What to keep in mind

The analysis also included studies without random assignment. People who started with poor flexibility improved more than those with average flexibility.

Practical conclusion for REZA

Anyone needing more range of motion gets a concrete dose rather than "just stretch properly".

View method and source

Methodology

Systematic review, meta-analysis and multivariate meta-regression

Original source

DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-02143-9 · PMID: 39614059

View on PubMed →

This information is general education about scientific research. It is not personal medical advice and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a doctor or other healthcare professional. If you have symptoms, a medical condition or take medication, consult your GP or treating professional before changing your training or nutrition.