MomentStretch

Stretch routine builder

Pick the areas that feel stiff and how long you have. It builds a routine from the stretch library and plays it: a picture, what to do, and a countdown for each side.

Areas
Minutes
Position
Hold

8 stretches · 4 min 55 s

Seated figure tipping the head to one side while one hand holds the chair seat; the stretched side of the neck is highlighted.

Stretch 1 of 8 · first side

Neck side bend

Ear toward shoulder, face forward, the other shoulder stays down.

0:20

0:004:55

Keys: Space plays or pauses, arrow keys go back or skip.

Your routine

8 stretches · 4 min 55 s · Neck, Shoulders, Upper back and chest, Wrists and hands

  1. Neck side bend

    Neck · hold 20 s each side

    Ear toward shoulder, face forward, the other shoulder stays down.

  2.

    Shoulder rolls

    Shoulders · 10 backward, then 10 forward

    Big slow circles: up, back, down. Ten back, then ten forward.

  3.

    Seated chest opener

    Upper back and chest · hold 20 s

    Arms wide, thumbs up, chest lifts, shoulder blades draw together.

  4.

    Wrist flexor stretch (palm up)

    Wrists and hands · hold 20 s each side

    Arm out, palm up, fingers down; the other hand draws them gently back.

  5.

    Chin tucks

    Neck · 8 to 10 slow repeats

    Slide the chin straight back, hold, relax. Keep it level.

  6.

    Cross-body shoulder stretch

    Shoulders · hold 20 s each side

    Arm across the chest, other hand above the elbow, ease it closer. Chest faces forward.

  7.

    Upper back reach

    Upper back and chest · hold 20 s

    Hands clasped, reach forward, round the upper back, chin slightly down.

  8.

    Wrist extensor stretch (palm down)

    Wrists and hands · hold 20 s each side

    Arm out, palm down, hand drops; the other hand presses it gently in.

Built at momentstretch.com/routine-builder/. Stretch to mild tension, never to pain, and stop if anything hurts, tingles or goes numb.

How to use the routine builder

  1. Pick areas. Tick the parts that feel stiff. Each area gets a turn before any area gets a second stretch.
  2. Pick minutes. The routine never runs over. Two or three minutes suits a quick break; five to ten suits a proper pause.
  3. Seated, standing or both. Seated keeps you in your chair; standing is a reason to get up.
  4. Press Play. The picture shows the current stretch, the countdown times each side, and a chime marks every change. There are 5 seconds to get ready between stretches.

Read each stretch's steps once before you start; the names in the list link to a full page for each, with variations and reasons to stop. Breathe normally throughout. Holding your breath is a sign you are pushing too hard.

Worked example

Neck and wrists, 3 minutes, seated, 20-second holds: the builder takes one neck stretch, then one wrist stretch, then goes back to the neck, and so on. The result is neck side bend (40 s), wrist flexor stretch (palm up) (40 s), chin tucks (30 s) and wrist extensor stretch (palm down) (40 s), with 3 changes of 5 seconds: 2 min 45 s in all. Nothing else fits in what is left of the 3 minutes, so the routine stops there.

What it cannot do

It does not know how you feel, what hurts or why. The library of 29 stretches covers ordinary stiffness from sitting and nothing more: it has nothing for specific injuries or conditions, and it is not adapted for pregnancy, recent surgery or joint replacements. If a stretch in your routine does not suit you, press Skip, or Shuffle for a different set.

For reminders through the day, the stretch break timer runs a work interval and then a routine like this one. For eyes, the 20-20-20 timer prompts a short look into the distance every 20 minutes.

Common questions

How is the routine chosen?

Stretches are taken in turn from each area you pick, so a short routine still reaches every area before doubling up on one. Each is added only if the routine still fits in your minutes, counting both sides of two-sided stretches and 5 seconds to get ready between stretches. The routine never runs over; it usually finishes a little under.

What does Shuffle do?

It picks a different order within each area, so the same settings give you a different set of stretches. The shuffle is saved in the link, so a shared or bookmarked routine always comes back the same.

Is anything saved or sent anywhere?

No. The settings live in the part of the address after the # sign, which your browser never sends to the server. Nothing is stored on your device either. Copy the link, or bookmark the page, to keep a routine.

Why is there no sound?

Browsers only allow a page to play sound after you have pressed something on it. Press Play once and the chime will sound at each change. The chime is a short tone made by your browser, not a downloaded file. Untick "Chime" to turn it off.

Can I do the routine standing?

Choose "Standing" and the builder uses only stretches that can be done standing, such as the calf and hip flexor stretches. Choose "Both" to let it mix seated and standing stretches.

How long should I hold each stretch?

The sources the library is written from generally give 15 to 30 seconds for a gentle held stretch, which is why those are the options. Movements such as shoulder rolls have their own fixed length.

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