Warm up with light movements to prepare your muscles for stretching. Walk in place or around the house to increase blood flow and raise muscle temperature, which helps your body gradually adjust to the demands of flexibility exercise. Warm up for five to 10 minutes.
Start with upper body stretches to target your shoulders, arms and chest. Stand upright, maintaining a flat back posture. Reach your arms above your head and interlace your fingers. While maintaining this position, shrug your shoulders slowly up and down, for one set of 10, and then slowly lower your arms to chest level. Bring your arms back up, reaching toward the sky, fingers still locked and shrug again for one more set of 10, and then slowly lower the arms back to chest level. You can complete more sets as your flexibility improves.
Sit in a chair using good back posture and interlace your fingers behind your head. Slowly twist your upper body, with arms and head to follow, to the right side and then slowly twist to the other side. Hold each side stretch for 10 seconds. This stretch focuses on your torso, or waistline. Repeat the torso twist for three to five sets.
Sit flat on your bottom and straighten your legs in front of you. Keep your back flat and reach toward your feet with both hands. Try not to bend at the knees as you stretch forward. Lower your torso and arms as far as you can without causing pain. As your flexibility improves, you will find yourself able to get your hands closer to your feet and, eventually, you may be able to rest your forehead on your knees.
Part your legs while in the sitting position to stretch each leg individually. You should feel stretching in your groin area and hamstrings. Twist your body slightly toward the left leg and reach with your arms, extending forward toward your toes. Slowly come back to center and repeat the movement for the other side. Hold the stretch for each leg for 10 seconds and try to lower yourself closer to the knee with each attempt.
Practice stretch variations for 10 to 20 minutes per workout. Stretching daily can improve flexibility faster than randomly stretching. If you are taking dance classes, practice your stretches before class. If you dance for fun, try to stretch as many days a week as you can before you dance.