If your New Year's resolution is to improve your flexibility, then there's one move you should be doing regularly, according to Pilates instructor and physical therapist Helen O'Leary.
“The mermaid is my exercise for 2026 as it is a great stretch that involves the whole body, so it gives you a lot of bang for your buck,” O'Leary says.
The Pilates instructor says the best thing about the move is that it has an immediate impact.
“You'll start to feel less stiff from day one of doing the mermaid stretch,” she says. “And if you do this move daily, you are likely to start seeing your hip movement improve, your back feel less stiff and your shoulder mobility increase.”
O’Leary says that in addition to its flexibility-boosting properties, the move can help build strength in certain joints.
“It has a bit of upper body weight-bearing, so it’s a really gentle way of building some strength in your wrists.”
You can do it after a long day spent sitting down or when you’ve finished a workout. Try matching it with some deep inhalations to boost your sense of calm.
How to do the mermaid stretch
Reps: 3 each side
- Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you.
- Move your right leg slightly out to the right, bend your knee and pull your right foot back, so it’s touching your right glute (or as close to it as possible).
- Move your left leg out to the left and bend your left knee, positioning your left foot so that it touches the front of your right thigh.
- Sit as upright as you can. If your hips feel uncomfortable, you can position cushions or a yoga block under your glutes to support them.
- Place your left hand on the floor to your left.
- Lift your right arm overhead.
- Bend to your left, reaching as far as you can with your right arm and allowing your left elbow to bend. Try to keep your sit bones on the floor.
- Pause and take a few deep breaths.
- Return to sitting and repeat two more times, before switching sides.
How to get more out of the move
Try O'Leary's variation on the mermaid stretch, designed to add an upper-body stretch:
- On the third repetition, reach your top hand through the gap between your bottom hand and torso, rotating your upper body.
- Reverse the movement by lifting the hand toward the ceiling and then behind you. This will extend and rotate the upper body in the opposite direction, giving you a nice stretch in your chest.
- Repeat this rotation three times.
O'Leary recommends finishing the sequence by holding the original stretch for three deep breaths, so you get the benefits of passive stretching as well as dynamic movement.
