This year, I’ve decided to dedicate each month to building a new habit. For January, the goal was to stretch every day for 30 days, since one of my broader goals for the year is to improve my flexibility and mobility.
If I stick to the plan, by the end of the year, I’ll have built 12 new habits that each contribute to a better life in one way or another. My plan is to document the results from each month in separate posts.
So, with that, let’s talk about how things went when I committed to stretching every day for 30 days.
Benefits of Stretching Every Day for 30 Days... Can It Make Us Richer?
One of the things I like most about personal finance is that there’s always a direct connection between money and lifestyle. The way we manage our health influences our ability to earn, and our financial choices shape the way we live.
For example, stretching improves our quality of life by increasing flexibility, reducing muscle stiffness, enhancing blood flow, and making movement more efficient. Here’s a great five-minute video that explains what happens when we stretch—it’s been viewed almost 9 million times:
That said, beyond the physical benefits, stretching plays a crucial role in financial well-being as well.
When we feel and move better, we have more energy, greater endurance, and a stronger capacity to take on demanding physical and mental tasks—whether that’s building something with our hands or tackling complex projects that require deep focus and persistence.
Since I already know that I plan to work for as many years as possible—ideally well into my 80s and maybe beyond—I need to proactively manage my health while I’m young to ensure I function optimally as I age.
That means my body needs to be as strong, nimble, and pain-free as possible to sustain productivity for decades longer than the average person who retires in their 60s. If I work to age 82, which is 20 years longer than the typical retirement age of 62, earning a median income of $40,000 per year would mean an additional $800,000 in lifetime earnings.
So maintaining flexibility isn’t just about avoiding injuries—it’s about ensuring that I can continue creating, contributing, and earning for as long as I choose to.
My Daily Stretching Performance
Before diving into the actual benefits I’ve noticed from stretching every day, here’s a quick recap of my results. The following image shows a weekly breakdown of my stretching performance from my first day on December 28th through today, since I’m still going strong and staying fairly consistent.
I stuck to stretching perfectly for the first three weeks before missing a few days in week four. My overall consistency rate was 27 out of 30 days—a solid 90% success rate.
Even better, I’ve kept up the habit beyond the initial 30 days and, as of now, I’m performing at 87% consistency overall.
Recommended Daily Stretch Routine
My daily stretching routine was simple. I mostly stretched at night before bed or attended yoga classes when possible. Occasionally, I squeezed in a quick session at the gym.
- Yoga was my preferred option due to the social aspect, but going daily wasn’t practical.
- Stretching at home was my go-to backup, since I could do it passively while watching TV.
The specific stretches you should perform daily should be targeted toward problematic areas. For me, that meant focusing on my lower body—stretching my calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quads.
Aside from 90-minute yoga sessions, my at-home stretch routines lasted 10-20 minutes, depending on my energy and mood. On low-motivation days, I kept it short—sometimes under five minutes—but still got it done.
The key takeaway? Consistency matters more than duration. Pick a few stretches you can comfortably hold for 30 seconds to one minute, and do them regularly. Over time, you can expand your routine.
Pro Tip: Foam Roll Before Stretching
Since we’re talking about best practices for stretching, here’s my top recommendation:
🛑 Foam roll your muscles before stretching, especially if you’re starting from cold.
Early on—around week two—I tweaked my hamstring doing a legs-up-the-wall stretch, and the discomfort lingered for over a month. Since then, I make sure to foam roll before stretching to activate the muscles and improve blood flow before putting them under stress.
1-2 minutes per muscle before stretching is enough to reduce injury risk and improve performance.
Less Pain + Better Sleep: Results from Stretching Every Day
Age, lingering injuries, and added muscle from strength training have led to stiffness and discomfort, making mobility more of a challenge than it used to be.
Since stretching is known to improve pain-free range of motion, I hoped it would help—and it didn’t disappoint. The first major benefit I noticed was a clear reduction in daily aches and stiffness.
Simple tasks—like walking, tying my shoes, or bending down to pick something up—are now noticeably more comfortable. I’m moving more freely and with less effort than I was before I started stretching daily.
But while the pain relief has been incredible, what it’s done for my sleep might be even more impressive.
📈 Take a look at this image from my sleep tracker—over the last month, my sleep performance has improved by a significant 21%:
They say that stretching before bed improves sleep by activating the body’s relaxation response, improving circulation, and calming the nervous system.
But I also believe that stretching daily grounded me in a consistent nighttime routine, which helped regulate my circadian rhythm and improve my overall sleep quality.
Stretching Every Day for a Richer Life
When pursuing financial wealth, we need to remember that true wealth isn’t just about money—it’s about living well.
There are plenty of things we can do right now to enrich our lives, even before we reach financial freedom. Stretching is one of them.
Will stretching every day completely change your life? Probably not.
But it will lay the foundation for a new habit that improves how you feel, move, and recover. It also makes you more resilient and resistant to injury, which means you can work, stay active, and enjoy life longer—without being forced to slow down before you’re ready.
If you’re looking for a simple way to feel better, move better, and sleep better without much effort, I highly recommend trying 30 days of daily stretching.
Give it a shot and see what happens. You might be surprised. Drop me a comment to let me know how it goes!
One Response
Hey Moses! As a personal trainer I love this message both for myself and for my clients who can all benefit from more stretching. I liked how you managed to connect this topic back to a financial aspect as well. Great message, thank you!