If you haven’t stretched in a while, then listen up: You’re a little behind on doing your best to prevent balance issues, tight muscles, back pain, soreness and more in your future. As we’ve previously reported, stretching can positively affect joints, ligaments and muscles around the hip, plus flexibility can help improve circulation. In other words? You’re stiff because you don’t stretch enough and it’ll have even worse consequences later. (Hey, as a remote worker who spends his shift in a sedentary state — I’m definitely already there.) Luckily, we found a tool that’ll help you get on your stretching game: The aptly named and highly rated Stretch Out strap.
This no-frills nylon strap may look pretty simple, but don’t let that deceive you; it’s a strong contender for being your holy grail for your wellness routine.
The unassuming strap is called the Stretch Out and it’s designed with loops to help you get a tighter stretch, increase limb extension and get those joints moving again. So many reviewers say it’s helped them with everything from back pain and tight quads to opening up those hip flexors and relieving tense shoulders.
In a review titled “no more hip pain,” one reviewer explains how its helped them: “I get on the floor and let the weight of my leg fall and my arms pull my leg around. I feel so good when I use this to stretch out my legs, hips and arms. It feels like a deep massage. […] This is so easy to travel with because you can roll it up and stuff it anywhere. I never have to hurt again.”
While this isn’t a cure-all miracle product — and certainly not a replacement for physical therapy — many say they have used it at the advice of their physical therapists to be diligent about at-home stretching. Furthermore, some have noted that with regular use, it’s “literally a lifesaver” for whatever ails you. Per the reviews, it’s even been helpful to numerous users for post-surgery recovery!
Alright, if you’re wondering how it works, it’s so simple.
The strap is 6 feet long and has 10 loops built into it, so you can slide your hands, arms, feet and legs through a loop as needed and pull away. Using those loops and a bit of tension, you gently tug and press against the strap to find some relief and help stretch those areas you need assistance with.
Unlike those plastic stretchy resistance bands, this one is made of a tough nylon that doesn’t stretch, bend or break under pressure. It provides a deep, deep stretch, and it’s so versatile, you can use it for yoga, physical therapy and general fitness.
You can lay on your back, for example, slide a foot into one end of the strap’s loops, straighten that leg and pull the other side with your hand stretch out some hamstring stretches. Or, as pictured above, stretch your shoulders by simply tugging the strap behind your back.
This easy tool is essentially useful for your entire body. Check out this how-to video below from the brand.
If you’re unsure of how to use this for your particular tightness, don’t worry: this thing comes bundled with a 40-page booklet of exercise ideas and stretch techniques. If you need help figuring any of those instructions out, the brand also has its own smartphone app to provide its own instructional videos. And of course, if all else fails, just check out YouTube!
Reviewers really swear by this thing, and the praises are literally endless.
“I use it to help stretch out my legs, calves quads, and any muscle I can in my legs,” raves one user.
“But the biggest help has been with my upper back and shoulder tightness… It has helped with the tightness in my upper back and shoulders IMMENSELY. Far more than even massages have helped, stretching has provided far more relief and this simple strap helps me to do the stretches I can’t do on my own. This is a great supplement to a stretching routine and I highly recommend it.”
Other reviewers have been using it to help with recovery after calf injuries, leg and knee surgeries, torn ACLs, multiple back operations and more.
If you need to get on top of your stretching, consider grabbing this inexpensive Stretch Out strap to help ease some of that tension and tightness. And if you’re looking for more reviewers to sing its praises before you make the purchase, check out what folks are saying down below.
“All this is, is a strap with some loops in it. That being said, it is so incredibly helpful to use during stretching exercise. I am and always have been a very active and healthy individual, but stretching has always been my weak spot. I finally decided I needed to start integrating stretching into my day for my own good and due to constant tight muscles. Because I am so inflexible, I decided to get this strap to help me out a bit and now I use it every day. I use it to help stretch out my legs, calves, quads, and any muscle I can in my legs. But the biggest help has been with my upper back and shoulder tightness. I basically go out onto my deck and throw this strap around the deck rail and lean back and put all my weight backward while looping the straps around my arms and it stretches out all of the muscles in my upper back. It has helped with the tightness in my upper back and shoulders IMMENSELY. Far more than even massages have helped, stretching has provided far more relief and this simple strap helps me to do the stretches I can’t do on my own. This is a great supplement to a stretching routine and I highly recommend it. It’s simple but extremely helpful and effective with stretching.” — CMB
“Let me make something very clear from the onset. I prefer lifting weights to stretching with a strap. I have been lifting since my early teens, and am lifting regularly once again since I retired. During my younger adult years I also ran, primarily on pavement. But I seldom stretched because I don’t like stretching. Over the years I gave up various activities because of pain, stiffness, and inflexibility. I stopped running in my thirties because my knees were sore enough to interfere with sleep at night, and made using the stairs very unpleasant. […]
What does this have to do with the OPTP strap and the instruction booklet that accompanies it? I cannot stretch my quads by grabbing my ankle and pulling my leg back and up, because I can’t reach my ankle that way. A towel around my ankle helped some, but was hard to hold on to. An old belt looped around my ankle helped some, but was fast becoming uncomfortable. This strap comfortably loops around my ankle and is long enough to bring across my back and opposing shoulder where I can slip my hands through the loops for a strong grip. I am able to bring my heel(s) closer to my glutes (fanny) so I feel a stretch in my (quads) thigh. Best of all, I found that when my knee hurt after a workout, stretching my quads immediately decreased and quickly eliminated the soreness. […]
The strap turns out to be the same brand as used at PT, although I have never used it there. The strap I received appears well-made, with many loops for getting strong grips for better leverage. The printed guide that came with the OPTP strap is a gem. It contains more stretches than I have been taught at PT. […]” — OldGuy678 (This review has been edited for length. Read the full review.)“I love my Stretch out strap since I have it I use it daily. It has really been helping me with my workout goals. It’s very nice and practical. I can take it with me everywhere… Easy to use. It comes with a professional manual that gives me ideas to use my strap in a creative way so I can feel aligned and totally balanced and relax. If you don’t know how to start your exercise routine, and if you suffer pains in your body and need extra support… this strap is perfect for you! Amazing strap… I love it and I need it!” — Hardeep Singh Sohal
Amazon
A penetrative concentrate cream
The Penetrex recovery cream is possibly one of the most impressively reviewed pain-relief topicals on Amazon that features a concentrated blend of natural ingredients. It’s a non-greasy and sensitive skin-friendly formula containing arnica and vitamin B6 to soothe sore and achy muscles without the burning or freezing sensation of other numbing creams.
Promising review: “Penetrex works for me. I have tried many different pain relieving creams and really believed a topical cream could not eliminate pain. Some products have a lot of Menthol that distracts from the pain for a while. I broke my wrist in 2015 and have 10 metal pins in my wrist. My hand, as well as my wrist, are frequently painful. I think some arthritis is developing. I am so thankful to have found Penetrex. When my hand or wrist starts hurting, I rub in a small amount of Penetrex and the pain goes away. I have not timed how long it takes. I just know if I want the pain to stop, I use Penetrex and not long after, I realize the pain is gone. I keep a jar at home and at work. I will not be without it, so I hope the company stays around for a very long time. Penetrex is not sticky or greasy, it rubs in completely like a hand cream or lotion. It has a mild fragrance, not a strong odor like some sports creams. I was introduced to electrode therapy and ultrasound during my physical therapy sessions for my wrist. I purchased both for home use. Penetrex works better than either of those therapies. I recommend you try it. It may not work the same for everyone and every type of pain, but it is worth a try.” — Rita Berry
Amazon
A cervical traction pillow for the neck and shoulders
According to one reviewer, this odd-shaped pillow made their shoulder pain “disappear completely” using a stretching technique called cervical traction, which involves gently creating space between the bones of the neck. The pillow is made from a dense foam and strategically follows the natural curvature of the spine to ease pain in as little as 10 minutes a day.
Promising review: “So here’s a backstory, I have a pinched nerve and I am an artist who uses their hands A LOT. It causes me a lot of pain in my right hand, which causes my arm to go numb at night and aches all through the night. It stems from my shoulder and for the last several days I’ve been in a ton of pain, unable to sleep. I bought this on a whim with the hope for some relief in my neck and shoulder. As soon as it arrived I opened it and used it for less than a minute. That 45 seconds I was on it made my shoulder pain disappear completely. I was shocked.. but so happy to finally have this relief. Let me be clear, my back and shoulder is messed up from several things.. and it hurt because of the tension I’ve kept when I used this product. But it was the kind of pain you would get from a deep tissue massage or something like that. I’ve continued use through the day, using around 1-2 minutes total. No pain, no aches, my neck feels less tense and my shoulder pain is completely gone. I will continue using it daily! Highly recommended” — Z
Amazon
An acupressure mat and pillow set
This mat and pillow set may seem intimidating, however an overwhelming number of reviewers swear by this accupressure tool to provide pain relief. Its cushioned surface is covered with over 10,000 hard plastic spikes that, though, are not a complete substitute for acupuncture, are meant to improve circulation and help relax muscles. The mat is available in both large (about 16 by 26 inches) and extra large (about 19 by 51 inches) sizes.
Promising review: “I cannot express enough how much I am in love with this accupressure mat!!!! Yes, it hurts at first for the first few minutes…. but chances are you got this because you have pain anyways….why not grimace for another few minutes to experience the relaxing, pain relieving result while you lay on it and after!! My friend recommended this to me because of my horrible back pains and back diagnoses. I had no clue what I was in for. I did almost want to give up when first laying on it because it does really hurt at first, but then my minute 2-4, it just kinda becomes warm and relaxing. Last time my back went out, it was for 3 months. I was basically bed-ridden. I wish I had had this mat back then. However, since then, I have had those moments where I felt like it was going to go out, I put on a full body meditation channel on youtube, relax myself, lay on the mat for all of 10 minutes (you can go longer), and I am back to feeling better and pain free. It is my understanding you will gain even greater health benefits if you can make this part of your daily routine, but I can vouch how incredible it is even if you just do it when needed because of an onset of pain. Please, do yourself a favor and get this. Research though, there are different levels and and numbers of spikes. I bought a different kind with a less spikey feel, and I will occasionally use that one for the lower half of my body, because for my pain relief I have learned I need the extra spikey feel to get down to my nerves, tissues and muscles I guess. Neck pillow on this one is too much for my neck, but I learned you can put a thin cloth, like slide a thin pillowcase over it and then I am able to use the neck pillow. Love love love this… it has saved me on multiple occasions!!!!” — Storm
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