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Daily stretches you can print

By the fitvee team · Last updated

The 6 stretches of our walking plan, most used first.

A chair and a wall are all you need.

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Print: Ctrl+P or Cmd+P. Three pages.

A woman takes a slow tai chi step in her kitchen, one hand on the counter.

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Use a sturdy chair without wheels, and a clear stretch of wall.

  1. In a bright home studio, a woman faces the wall with her hands on it, one foot a stride behind the other, both heels down.

    Wall calf stretch

    Walking plan: 17 of 28 days.

    Steps

    1. Stand facing a wall an arm's length away. Place both hands on it at shoulder height.
    2. Step your right foot back about 1 stride. Keep both heels on the floor and toes pointing forward.
    3. Bend your left knee a little. Keep your right leg long with a soft knee.
    4. Breathe out and lean your hips gently toward the wall until you feel a stretch in the right calf.
    5. Hold for 4 slow breaths. Step back in and switch legs.

    Easier: Take a shorter stride and lean less.

    Take care:

    • Balance: keep both hands on the wall and wear non-slip shoes.
    • Sensitive knees: keep the front knee soft.
    • Low bone density: lean only as far as feels easy.
  2. Seen from the side, a woman sits tall near the front of a chair whose back is against the wall, arms hanging by her sides.

    Chest opener

    Walking plan: 16 of 28 days. Chair plan: 6 of 28 days.

    Steps

    1. Sit tall on a sturdy chair with your feet flat, or stand tall with a wall, counter or chair back within reach.
    2. Let your arms hang by your sides, palms facing forward.
    3. Breathe in and slide your shoulder blades gently toward each other.
    4. Breathe out and keep your chest lifted, with your chin level.
    5. Hold for 3 breaths, then relax. Repeat 4 times.

    Easier: Squeeze your shoulder blades only a little, or rest your hands on your thighs.

    Take care:

    • Sensitive shoulders: keep your arms low, close to your sides.
    • Sensitive neck: keep your chin level and do not tip your head back.
    • Low bone density: keep the movement small and do not arch your back.
  3. Seen from the side, a woman sits near the front edge of a chair whose back is against the wall, one leg forward with the heel on the floor and toes up, hands on her other thigh.

    Heel dig stretch

    Walking plan: 16 of 28 days. Chair plan: 10 of 28 days.

    Steps

    1. Sit tall near the front edge of a sturdy chair, feet flat.
    2. Slide your right foot forward until your leg is nearly straight, with your knee soft. Rest your heel on the floor with your toes up.
    3. Place your hands on your left thigh.
    4. Breathe out and hinge forward a little from your hips, with a flat back, until you feel a gentle pull.
    5. Hold for 4 slow breaths. Switch legs and move your hands to your other thigh.

    Easier: Bend your knee more and hinge a smaller way.

    Take care:

    • Sensitive back: hinge only a little, chest lifted.
    • Sensitive knees: keep your knee bent.
    • Low bone density: keep your back long and do not round it.
    • Hip replacement: keep the hinge very small, or skip it, as your surgeon or therapist advises.

Stretch after you move with a 28-day walking plan

Short daily sessions at home, a step harder as you get stronger.

See the walking plan

  1. A woman sits tall on a wooden chair whose back is against the wall, one hand on her thigh and the other at the edge of the seat.

    Side reach

    Walking plan: 15 of 28 days. Chair plan: 8 of 28 days.

    Steps

    1. Sit tall on a sturdy chair with your feet flat, or stand with soft knees and a hand on a chair back.
    2. Rest your left hand on the chair seat or your thigh.
    3. Breathe in and lift your right arm out and up, with your elbow soft.
    4. Breathe out and lean gently to the left, keeping both hips down and your chest facing forward.
    5. Take 3 slow breaths, come up on an in breath, and repeat on the other side.

    Easier: Keep the arm low, hand resting at your side, and lean a short way.

    Take care:

    • Sensitive back: lean a short way and keep your belly gently supported.
    • Sensitive shoulders: keep your arm below shoulder height.
    • Low bone density: keep the lean small and never pull on the chair to go farther.
  2. A woman sits tall on a wooden chair whose back is against the wall, both arms held out in front of her at chest height.

    Wrist and finger flow

    Walking plan: 12 of 28 days.

    Steps

    1. Sit tall on a sturdy chair, or stand with your feet hip-width apart and a chair nearby.
    2. Hold your arms out in front of you, elbows soft.
    3. Make 5 slow circles with your wrists in each direction.
    4. Open your fingers wide like a star, then close them into a soft fist. Repeat 5 times.
    5. Finish by shaking your hands out lightly and letting them rest.

    Easier: Rest your forearms on your thighs or a table and move only your hands.

    Take care:

    • Sensitive wrists or hands: use small circles, and skip the fist if it is uncomfortable.
    • Sensitive shoulders: rest your elbows on your thighs.
  3. A woman sits tall on a chair whose back is against the wall, hands on her thighs, shoulders low, eyes closed.

    Neck release

    Walking plan: 14 of 28 days. Chair plan: 8 of 28 days.

    Steps

    1. Sit tall on a sturdy chair, feet flat.
    2. Let your shoulders drop away from your ears.
    3. Breathe out and slowly tip your right ear toward your right shoulder. Stop as soon as you feel a gentle stretch. Breathe 3 slow breaths.
    4. Come back to the center on an in breath. Repeat on the left.
    5. Finish by turning your head a little to each side.

    Easier: Make the tip very small.

    Take care:

    • Sensitive neck: skip any head position that causes tingling or a pinch, and keep every movement small. Never roll your head in full circles or tip it back.
    • Sensitive shoulders: keep both shoulders relaxed and level.
    • Feeling dizzy: stop and breathe normally.

Stop any move that hurts. Stop and rest if you feel chest pain or pressure, dizziness, a racing or uneven heartbeat, or unusual shortness of breath. If it is severe or does not ease with rest, call 911.

Also to print

What the guidelines say

28-day walking planSee the plan

General information, not medical advice.

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