Start by separating two jobs
You have a short workout planned, but the stretching routine could take just as long. A dedicated flexibility routine does not have to precede every session. Keep the warm-up, and decide which stretching, if any, serves a specific purpose within it. Preparation for today’s movements and a session devoted to flexibility do not need to become the same checklist.
Static stretching means holding a position; dynamic stretching involves movement. Neither label tells you whether you are ready for your planned exercise. Mayo Clinic advises warming up with easy activity before stretching and avoiding painful stretches. [3]
Brief holds and long holds are different questions
In 20 male team-sport athletes, brief stretches within a complete warm-up did not change sprint, jump, or change-of-direction performance. [1]
In 16 men, two minutes of static stretching per muscle reduced rapid force production in one test, even within a full warm-up. Shorter durations did not. [2]
These small studies measured immediate performance, not injury prevention or long-term progress. Neither tested your home routine. They do not establish a universal stopwatch rule for every person and exercise.
Make the preparation relevant
For a bodyweight session, a useful planning question is: what will my first exercise ask me to do? If your existing plan includes easy practice repetitions before the working sets, allow time for them. A long list of unrelated stretches should not crowd them out simply because it looks thorough.
For example, write “easy movement, preparation for my first exercise, then working sets” in your schedule. Add any stretching already recommended for your needs where it belongs in that plan. This is an organizational example, not a tested warm-up protocol or a prescription for repetitions and duration.
Give flexibility its own space when it needs it
If improving flexibility is a separate goal, decide when to work on it instead of squeezing an entire extra session before every workout. If a clinician has given you specific rehabilitation exercises, these general observations are not a reason to remove them.
Before your next planned session, check what each preparation step is for. Keep the steps that serve your plan and flag anything whose purpose is unclear for discussion with your coach. The useful outcome is a preparation routine you understand, not a record for how quickly you can finish it.