More range of motion
In studies, every type of stretching tested increased range of motion. The ACSM recommends flexibility exercises for adults on at least two days per week.
Stretches for back, neck, hips & your sport
The stretching app for a daily routine that sticks
A few minutes for yourself every day. A little more flexibility every week.
StretchZen walks you through short guided stretching routines: for your lower back, a stiff neck after a day at the screen, tight hips, winding down before bed or a warm-up for your sport. 74 routines, 92 stretches and 19 programs that build up over days and weeks.
Free for iPhone and iPad · Optional Premium (in-app purchase)
- 74 routines · 92 stretches
- Programs for 13 sports
- No account, no ads
- 35 app languages
Personalized routines for you and your sport
StretchZen puts together personalized routines that fit your goal. Each of the 13 sports has its own warm-up – free. You can build one custom routine from 92 stretches for free. With Premium, the routine generator creates a routine by body area, minutes and level, and 19 programs take you toward your goal day by day.
No experience needed. StretchZen guides you through every routine: an animated figure shows the stretch, a countdown times the hold, and before each stretch you get a few seconds to get into position. A short sound and a light vibration tell you when the next stretch starts and when to switch sides. Every stretch has instructions – and “For Beginners” and the free 14-Day Flexibility Kickstart make for an easy start.
How it works
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Pick a routine
Take the suggestion under “For you today”, the warm-up for your sport or a program – or build your own routine from 92 stretches.
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Follow along
An illustrated figure shows every stretch while a ring counts down the seconds. For one-sided stretches StretchZen tells you which side is next, and short instructions explain the position.
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Keep it going
Sessions, minutes, your streak and a weekly report show what you have done. A reminder at a set time helps turn stretching into a habit.
Why stretch every day
A break from sitting
The WHO recommends cutting down on long periods of sitting. A short stretch break is an easy reason to get up and move.
Ready for your sport
Dynamic stretching in the warm-up slightly improved performance in studies. More in Stretching before exercise.
A few minutes for you
A small, fixed routine in the morning or evening is easy to keep up – and your streak shows how many days in a row you have done it.
A few minutes is enough to start
Many StretchZen routines take three to five minutes – Desk Break needs three, Splits Prep takes about ten. That fits before your first coffee, into a lunch break or between brushing your teeth and going to bed. Press start, put the phone on the floor in front of you and follow the figure: the timer moves on to the next stretch by itself, so there is nothing to count. Get a little more flexible every day – not through one big session, but through many small ones.
New in StretchZen 1.2: programs for your sport
A plan that grows with you: 19 programs from 7 to 42 days
Single routines are great for today. If you have a goal – a deeper squat, higher kicks, the splits – you need a plan that builds week by week. That is what programs are: every day has its session, StretchZen remembers where you are, and the Today screen picks up where you left off.
Version 1.2 adds programs for combat sports and other sports: Higher Kicks and Kick Mobility for Muay Thai and kickboxing, Kick Splits for taekwondo and karate, Guard Mobility for BJJ, Boxer’s Shoulders, MMA All-Round Mobility and plans for running, soccer, golf, tennis, climbing and strength training. Two programs are free – the 14-Day Flexibility Kickstart and Kick Mobility Starter – and all 19 programs come with Premium.
- 13 sports: Muay Thai/kickboxing, taekwondo & karate, boxing, BJJ/judo/wrestling, MMA, soccer, running, cycling, tennis, swimming, golf, climbing, strength training
- A dynamic warm-up for every sport – all 13 are free
- Everyday plans: Posture Reset, Desk Neck, Hip Opener, 30-Day Splits
- Progress for each day, continue right from the Today screen
All 19 programs at a glance
| Program | Area | Access | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-Day Flexibility Kickstart | Everyday | free | 14 days |
| 7-Day Posture Reset | Everyday | Premium | 7 days |
| 21-Day Desk Neck | Everyday | Premium | 21 days |
| 14-Day Hip Opener | Everyday | Premium | 14 days |
| 30-Day Splits | Everyday | Premium | 30 days |
| Deeper Squat | Strength training | Premium | 28 days |
| 10-Day Runner Mobility | Running | Premium | 10 days |
| Runner's Calves, Ankles & Hips | Running | Premium | 21 days |
| Kick Mobility Starter | Muay Thai / kickboxing | free | 7 days |
| Higher Kicks | Muay Thai / kickboxing | Premium | 28 days |
| Kick Splits | Taekwondo & karate | Premium | 42 days |
| Boxer's Shoulders & Rotation | Boxing | Premium | 21 days |
| Guard Mobility | BJJ, judo & wrestling | Premium | 21 days |
| Neck, Shoulders & Hips for Wrestling and Judo | BJJ, judo & wrestling | Premium | 21 days |
| MMA All-Round Mobility | MMA | Premium | 28 days |
| Footballer's Hips & Groin | Soccer | Premium | 21 days |
| Golf Rotation | Golf | Premium | 21 days |
| Tennis Shoulder & Rotation | Tennis | Premium | 14 days |
| Climber's Forearms & Shoulders | Climbing | Premium | 14 days |
Which stretches go into a plan and why, is explained in the guides – for example Splits for beginners, Hip stretches and Stretching before exercise.
Inside the app
The App Store images – StretchZen 1.2 on iPhone.
Everything for your daily stretching routine
StretchZen runs on iPhone and iPad. An Android version is planned.
Guided routines
A figure demonstrates each stretch, a ring counts down and the side is called out. Pause, skip or go back with one tap.
- iPhone & iPad
74 routines, 92 stretches
For back, neck, hips, shoulders, legs and wrists – stretching, posture, recovery and short strength routines like planks. 22 routines are free.
- iPhone & iPad
Multi-week programs
19 plans from 7 to 42 days, from the Flexibility Kickstart to Kick Splits. Two are free, all 19 programs with Premium.
- iPhone & iPad
Stretching for your sport
13 sports with their own routines: a dynamic warm-up before, cool-down and mobility after.
- iPhone & iPad
Know what you stretch
For every stretch StretchZen shows the muscles it targets and short instructions for the position.
- iPhone & iPad
Custom routines & generator
Build your own routines from the stretches and share them with a link. One custom routine is free; the routine generator and unlimited routines come with Premium.
- iPhone & iPad
Progress & weekly report
Sessions, minutes, streak, a calendar and the areas you stretched most this week.
- iPhone & iPad
Mobility check (Premium)
Five short self-tests – forward fold, shoulder, hips, neck, spine rotation – show with Premium how your mobility changes over time.
- iPhone & iPad
Reminders
One daily reminder is free. Multiple reminders at different times come with Premium.
- iPhone & iPad
Siri, widgets & Apple Health
Starting a routine with Siri is free. With Premium: Home Screen widgets, sessions in Apple Health and iCloud sync across your devices.
- iPhone & iPad
Why use a stretching app?
No planning, just start
Which stretch, how long, which side? StretchZen takes care of it. You choose an area or a goal, the app sets the order and the timing.
Often instead of rarely
Flexibility comes from repetition. Short routines, a program with a daily plan and a reminder make it easier to stay consistent than one long session a month.
Fits your day
A morning stretch to wake up, a neck break at lunch, winding down at night, a warm-up before training – there is a routine for each moment.
Who is StretchZen for?
For anyone who wants to move more freely without clearing an hour a day – beginners and athletes alike.
Desk workers
Eight hours at a desk show up in your neck, shoulders and hips. Desk Break takes three minutes and works in a chair; Tech Neck looks after a head that leans forward all day. Which stretches help is covered in Neck stretches.
Stiff mornings
“Wake Up” is one of the shortest routines in the app and an easy way to start the day. See Morning stretch routine for a five-minute sequence.
Tight backs
Lower Back, Gentle Twists and Posture Reset get your spine moving. The stretches are explained in Back stretches – but if your back hurts, have it checked by a doctor first.
Athletes and fighters
Muay Thai, taekwondo, BJJ, boxing, MMA, running, soccer, tennis, golf, climbing, cycling, swimming or lifting: every sport has its own routines and a free warm-up. Why you move dynamically before and hold stretches after is in Stretching before exercise.
Goal setters
The splits, a deeper squat, higher kicks: there are programs for that, running three to six weeks. What is realistic is covered in Splits for beginners.
Beginners
Never stretched regularly? The “For Beginners” routine and the free 14-Day Flexibility Kickstart are the easiest way in. Every stretch has instructions, so you don’t need to know anything upfront. Hips have their own levels from I to III.
A day with StretchZen
Here is how StretchZen can fit into a normal workday. Every routine is in the app, and it shows the minutes before you start.
- 7:00 Wake Up. Cat-cow, a standing side bend and a full-body reach – a few minutes before the day takes over.
- 11:30 Desk Break. Neck rotation, seated twist, chair hip hinge and shoulder blade squeeze. Three minutes without leaving your chair.
- 3:00 pm Tech Neck. Chin tuck, side bend and a levator scapulae stretch – for your neck after hours at the screen.
- 6:30 pm Training. Before a run or a martial arts class, the dynamic warm-up for your sport; afterwards the post-workout cooldown.
- 10:00 pm Before Sleep. Child’s pose, happy baby, supine twist and legs up the wall. Calm floor stretches before bed.
You don’t have to do all of it. One routine a day is a good start, and the streak in the corner shows how many days in a row you have kept it up. Free: 22 routines, two programs, one custom routine and one reminder. Premium unlocks all 74 routines, all 19 programs, the generator, the mobility check, widgets, Apple Health and iCloud sync – see Free and Premium.
StretchZen, videos, a printout or a class?
An honest comparison. Each option has its place – it depends on what you are looking for.
| StretchZen | Online video | Printed sheet | In-person class | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | from 2–3 minutes | set by the video | up to you | usually 45–90 minutes |
| Time per stretch | countdown, moves on by itself | set by the video | count it yourself | instructor counts |
| Matches your goal | by area, sport, program | search for the right video | one fixed sequence | depends on the class |
| Builds over weeks | programs with a daily plan | rarely | no | yes, on a schedule |
| Corrects your form | instructions, no correction | no | no | yes, in person |
| Tracks progress | sessions, minutes, streak | no | by hand | no |
A class with an instructor or a physical therapist can see and correct your form – no app can. Videos are good for following along, but tie you to their length and pace. StretchZen sits in between: short routines that fit, whenever you want, and a plan that keeps going for weeks.
Which stretches work for which area is in the guides: back, neck, hips, mornings, splits and before exercise. Find them all on the guides page.
Your routines stay with you.
StretchZen works without an account. Your sessions and routines live on your device.
- No accountNo sign-up – not for stretching, not for buying Premium.
- No adsThe free version doesn’t show ads either.
- No analytics servicesThe app contains no third-party analytics or advertising libraries.
- iCloud and Health only if you wantSync through your own iCloud and entries in Apple Health only happen when you turn them on with Premium.
Start free, add Premium if you want
Free
- 22 routines, including Lower Back, Tech Neck, Hips I, Before Sleep
- Dynamic warm-ups for all 13 sports
- 2 programs: 14-Day Flexibility Kickstart, Kick Mobility Starter
- 1 custom routine, share with a link
- 1 daily reminder
- Progress, streak and weekly report
- Start a routine with Siri
Premium
Optional: monthly, yearly or a one-time purchase (lifetime) in the app
- All 74 routines and all 19 programs
- Routine generator and unlimited custom routines
- Mobility check with history
- Multiple reminders
- Widgets, Apple Health and iCloud sync
- More characters and accent colors
Frequently asked questions
Is StretchZen free?
Yes. 22 routines, warm-ups for all 13 sports, two programs, one custom routine, one reminder and your progress are free. Premium is optional and unlocks all 74 routines, all 19 programs and more.
How long does a routine take?
Most routines take two to six minutes; Splits Prep takes about ten. The length is shown on the card before you start.
Who are the stretches suitable for?
For healthy adults of any level. Routines have levels, and many stretches work standing, seated or with a chair. If you have pain, an injury or recent surgery, ask your doctor which movements are right for you first.
What are programs?
Plans from 7 to 42 days that build day by day – like 30-Day Splits, Higher Kicks or Deeper Squat. Two are free, all 19 programs come with Premium.
Is StretchZen available for Android?
An Android version is planned. As soon as it is available, you will find the Google Play link here.
Do I need an account?
No. StretchZen works without signing up, and Premium is bought through your Apple Account.
Do I need a mat or equipment?
A mat or a rug is enough. Some stretches use a chair or a wall; no equipment is needed.
Does StretchZen work on iPad?
Yes, StretchZen runs on iPhone and iPad. There is no Apple Watch version.
Do I need any experience?
No. An animated figure shows every stretch, a countdown keeps time, a sound and a vibration announce the next stretch and the side switch, and each stretch has short instructions. Good places to start are the “For Beginners” routine and the free 14-Day Flexibility Kickstart.
Start today.
Flexibility isn’t a talent, it’s a habit. Download StretchZen for free and take your first five minutes today.
Coming soon toGoogle Play