Daily stretching
Long, regular stretching sessions to undo years of tightness and keep training possible
Static and active stretching done as its own session rather than a two-minute warm-up: hips, hamstrings, calves, glutes and spine, often for an hour or more. People turn to it after injuries, or when a body that has carried decades of load starts to seize up. The dose varies enormously; one person on this site describes two to three hours a day. Evidence that stretching prevents injury is mixed, but regular range-of-motion work does keep joints moving and lets people keep doing the sport they care about.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- David GogginsDoes it
Retired Navy SEAL · Can't Hurt Me
Two to three hours of stretching a day, as of 2019, and he told Outside he had missed two days in six years.
Source: Outside: David Goggins Wrote the Game Plan for Peak Performance“My daily routine is: I run, I go to the gym, and I stretch for about two, three hours. I’ve missed two days in the past six years.”
Outside: David Goggins Wrote the Game Plan for Peak Performance (opens in a new tab) · 25 Jan 2019 - Jennifer AnistonDoes it
Actor · Friends and The Morning Show
Stretching before bed is one of the daily practices she named to Allure, alongside meditating in the morning and what she calls working on her sleep hygiene. Sleep is the hard part for her, and she has made it a priority.
Source: E! News: Jennifer Aniston Reveals Wellness Plan That Helps Her Stay Balanced (quoting Allure) - LeBron JamesDoes it
Basketball player · NBA all-time leading scorer
A friend told him at 13 to play hard, have fun and stretch, and he says the advice stuck. Consistent stretching to keep his limbs flexible is one of the few specific habits he credits for lasting past the point where most players decline.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #349 transcript: LeBron James and Mike Mancias - Mark WahlbergDoes it
Actor and producer · The 2:30 a.m. daily routine
TODAY quoted a July 2024 Instagram video of his. In it he named rest, recovery and nutrition as the most important parts of what he calls his longevity program, and he said he focuses on recovery in two ways: ice baths and stretching.
Source: TODAY: Mark Wahlberg's Workout Routine: His Go-To Moves - Oprah WinfreyDoes it
Talk show host and producer · The Oprah Winfrey Show
Exercise these days is a question of agility and flexibility rather than output, she wrote in O, and a lot of resistance stretching is what that looks like in practice.
Source: Oprah.com: How Oprah Lives Healthier Than Ever Before - Zac EfronDoes it
Actor · the Baywatch body and what it cost him
Stretching is one of three things the cover story says he champions, alongside self-massage and yoga. It belongs to the recovery-heavy routine that came out of his break in Australia.
Source: Men's Health: Zac Efron Interview on His Career, His Health, and His Next Movie - Novak DjokovicDiscusses
Tennis player · Record 24 Grand Slam singles titles
The outlet's account of his book has him running a full stretching routine every time he steps on court, charity exhibitions included, opening with light running or a stationary bike before anything dynamic.
Source: EssentiallySports: All You Need To Know About Novak Djokovic's Training Routine
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness or longevity.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
Backed by 37 of 44 stacks: 32 do it, 3 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Protein-forward eating
Roughly 1g of protein per pound of target bodyweight, spread across meals
Backed by 19 of 44 stacks: 15 do it, 3 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
Backed by 12 of 44 stacks: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cycling
Steady riding, outdoors or on a stationary bike, as daily low-intensity cardio
Backed by 7 of 44 stacks: 7 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Stability and mobility work
Daily joint, foot and breathing work to keep strength usable
Backed by 7 of 44 stacks: 6 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
High-intensity interval training
Short all-out efforts with full recovery in between, a few times a week
Backed by 6 of 44 stacks: 5 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.