Stretch twice a week in the evening before bed (specifically the lower body) to relax, and incorporate static stretching into fitness or running workouts as a warm-up or cool-down.

noli's read

Stretching in the evening is an excellent habit to promote general relaxation before sleep. A 2024 systematic review by Andreas Konrad's team shows that regular stretching promotes muscle relaxation and helps regulate stress by soothing the body's rest system, which gently supports sleep quality. Conversely, the idea of performing static stretches (such as the standing quadriceps stretch shown in the image) right before running is currently being questioned by sports science. A major systematic review conducted by Herbert and de Noronha demonstrates that static stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of injury and may even temporarily decrease muscle strength. Furthermore, scientific data reveals that stretching immediately after exercise does not prevent the onset of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). For your fitness sessions, prefer dynamic stretches for warm-ups, and reserve slower, static stretches for your relaxing evening rituals.

the sources

1. 1Weppler CH, Magnusson SP 2010
2. 2Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD, McHugh M 2015