For about 6-months, I’ve been adding to my morning routine a little 15-min stretching session. I tried my share of online yoga classes during COVID but I realise that what I really liked was stretching and that doing it just 15min in the morning was providing a good rhythm and start for my day. I liked it so much that I even hosted a small outdoor stretching workshop when I had a weekend with friends in France over the summer. At first, I always stuck to the same video and later realized that a little bit of variety wouldn’t be the worst. I fell into a Youtube rabbit hole and here is what I came back with.
Gaylyn Lareese – 15 min full body flexibility stretch routine for dancers: stretches for open hips and arabesque. Thou Geylyn is one of the YouTube in this list with the fewer followers (yet) and I had no idea before watching this routine what an arabesque is. This routine is my favorite because it is very professional (you can definitely see Gaylyn is a professional dancer), very educative (I learn the difference between an active and passive stretch) and Gaylyn made the effort to share the music she uses on Spotify, which is convenient for when you want to stretch without looking at a screen. The flip side of taking stretching from a professional dancer is that some positions in part 2 are advanced but surely awe-inspiring. What better day than today to challenge yourself? Positions that are in no other videos: Graham 4th stretch, reverse graham 4th stretch, modified pigeon stretch, assisted back attitude.
Mady Morrison – 15 Min. Full Body Stretch | Daily Routine for Flexibility, Mobility & Relaxation | DAY 7. This is the first stretching video I found and the one I watched so many times I probably know it by heart. It was probably recommended by Youtube due to location as Mady is a German yoga instructor. Very good and relaxing, in the stretching-without-talking style, so you don’t need to understand German to enjoy.
Growingbananas – Full Body Stretch | Mobility Routine for Flexibility & Relaxation. Also a stretching-without-talking video, a bit more dynamic and sporty than the one above. Pop songs lover will love this one.
Toni Mitchell – 13 min. Full Body Stretch Routine For Tight Muscles| Beginner Friendly. This stretching routine from fitness-enthusiast Toni starts with voice instructions but is then only music and the usual timer beep. I personally enjoy the tune she picked and the everyday-life feel with the kitchen background.
Arianna Elizabeth – Yoga for RUNNERS | 15 MIN POST-RUN Stretch | Beginner Friendly! Guided stretching session with smooth background music and voice, no timer beep. Arianna is a yoga teacher and you just feel like being in a private session with her.
Tom Merrick – 15 Minute Beginner Stretch Flexibility Routine! (FOLLOW ALONG) Guided stretching from Tom the British bodyweight warrior.
Emy Wong – 20 min Full Body Stretch for Flexibility, Reducing Bloating, Pain Relief & Recovery ◆ Emi ◆ If I felt that the Toni Mitchell video had an everyday-life vibe, it is even more true of this influencer Emy stretch routine shoot in a corner of an apartment with – I assume – her mum passing by at minute.
Yoga with Kassandra –10 min Morning Yoga Stretch for Beginners – Energy Boost Yoga Perfect for right after waking up, this video is a follow-along video. I like that she asks to pick one word as your intention for the day. Kassandra has a very soothing voice. In this stretching/yoga routine, I liked the recline pigeon pause and later then standing pigeon pause, as well as the floating tabletop.
BONUS: An entertaining, challenging, and inspiring video to stretch for front splits from blogilates – 15 Minutes Deep Stretch for Splits.

Enjoy and happy stretching!