Post-workout cool-down
A guided cool-down for after a workout — longer, calmer holds for the legs, hips, glutes, calves and chest you just worked. The app names each stretch, cues it and times the hold while you let your heart rate settle. It's the natural next step from a session, and the completion screen of every workout points you here.
- Moves
- 6
- Length
- ≈ 6 min
- Level
- All levels
Also known as cool down stretches, post workout stretches.
How the session works
- 1Finish your workout, then lay out a mat and let your breathing settle.
- 2Press start. The app holds each stretch for you and counts it down.
- 3Sink into each hold gently — your muscles are warm, so a little more range is fine, but never force it.
- 4On the one-sided stretches it switches sides for you; pick an 8 or 10-minute length.
The moves
- Standing hamstring stretch30s · each side
Hinge at the hips with a flat back, soft front knee — feel it behind the thigh.
- Figure-4 stretch30s · each side
Cross your ankle over the opposite knee and draw the thigh toward you.
- Hip-flexor lunge stretch30s · each side
Tuck your tailbone and press the back hip forward — don't arch your low back.
- Calf stretch30s · each side
Back leg straight, heel down, press the wall — feel it in the calf.
- Child's pose40s
Sink your hips back, reach long, and breathe.
- Doorway chest stretch30s
Forearms on the frame, step one foot through and let your chest open.
What it's good for
- Stretches the muscles a workout actually loads — legs, hips, glutes and calves.
- Calm, longer holds help you wind down from training.
- A ready-made next step after any of the bodyweight workouts.
The evidence. Stretching while your muscles are warm is comfortable and improves range of motion; treat a cool-down as a pleasant way to wind down rather than a proven way to prevent soreness.
Safety
- Even when warm, stretch only to mild tension and never bounce into a stretch.
Frequently asked questions
Should you stretch after a workout?
- A gentle cool-down stretch is a comfortable way to finish a session and can help you relax and improve flexibility while your muscles are warm. The evidence that it prevents next-day soreness is weak, so do it because it feels good.
How long should a cool-down be?
- Five to ten minutes of easy stretching is plenty. This routine runs about eight to ten minutes, with longer holds for the bigger muscle groups.
Does stretching prevent muscle soreness?
- Not reliably — research shows little effect on delayed-onset muscle soreness. A cool-down is still worthwhile for flexibility and for easing the transition out of a workout.
Gear we recommend
Optional kit that pairs with a home practice — for tracking recovery and effort. We may earn a commission on purchases made through these links.
Try another routine
Rankings to explore
Disclaimer. This guided session is low intensity and intended for healthy adults, but it is not medical advice. Move within a comfortable range, stop if anything hurts, and check with a clinician first if you're pregnant, recovering from injury or surgery, or managing a heart, joint or blood-pressure condition. FitHQ may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page.