Army Recovery Drill: All 8 Exercises, Commands and Hold Times

The Army Recovery Drill is the set of static stretches Soldiers do at the end of every physical training session. Under current doctrine, FM 7-22 and ATP 7-22.02 (October 2020, ATP updated by Change 1 in September 2025), it has eight exercises in a fixed order: Overhead Arm Pull, Rear Lunge, Extend and Flex, Thigh Stretch, Single-Leg Over, Groin Stretch, Calf Stretch and Hamstring Stretch. You hold each position for 20 to 30 seconds on each side.

Many study guides and flashcards still list only five exercises. That is the pre-2020 version of the drill. This page gives the current eight-exercise drill with the form for each stretch, the commands, the modified versions and what the research says stretching after a workout does and does not do. Army doctrine is revised from time to time, so check the current ATP 7-22.02 on the Army Publishing Directorate site if your unit is grading the drill.

The 8 exercises at a glance

#	Exercise	Starting position	Main stretch	Holds
1	Overhead Arm Pull	Straddle stance, hands on hips	Triceps, flank, shoulders	Left, right
2	Rear Lunge	Straddle stance, hands on hips	Front of thigh and hip	Left, right
3	Extend and Flex	Front leaning rest	Hips and abdominals, then low back, hamstrings and calves	Two positions
4	Thigh Stretch	Sitting	Front of thigh, hip and knee	Left, right
5	Single-Leg Over	Lying on your back	Hip and low back	Left, right
6	Groin Stretch	Straddle stance, hands on hips	Inner thigh	Right, left
7	Calf Stretch	Straddle stance, hands on hips	Calf and Achilles tendon	Left, right
8	Hamstring Stretch	Sitting	Back of thighs	Twice, reaching further the second time

That is 16 holds. At 20 to 30 seconds each, you spend 5 minutes 20 seconds to 8 minutes holding stretches, plus transitions.

5 exercises or 8: what changed

	TC 3-22.20 (2010) and FM 7-22 (2012)	FM 7-22 / ATP 7-22.02 (October 2020, incl. Change 1, 2025)
Exercises	5	8
List	Overhead Arm Pull, Rear Lunge, Extend and Flex, Thigh Stretch, Single-Leg Over	The same five, then Groin Stretch, Calf Stretch, Hamstring Stretch
Hold	20–30 seconds	20–30 seconds

The 2010 training circular and the 2012 FM 7-22 both describe five exercises, “always performed in the order listed.” The October 2020 FM 7-22 Table 6-2 lists “Recovery Drill (8),” and ATP 7-22.02 calls the Hamstring Stretch “the final exercise in Recovery Drill.” Change 1 to ATP 7-22.02 (September 2025) removed the Pose Method, added Four for the Core and replaced the ACFT with the AFT, but kept all eight recovery exercises with the same instructions. If your study guide stops at the Single-Leg Over, it is out of date.

One cue also flipped. The 2010 manual told Soldiers to look upward in the first Extend and Flex position. The current manual says to keep your gaze straight ahead and not look up.

Before the drill: walk it down

The drill comes after the cool-down walk, not instead of it. The 2010 manual tells Soldiers to walk after running until their heart rate is below 100 beats per minute and heavy sweating stops, and allows about 15 minutes for recovery right after the session. FM 7-22 gives the same walk rule in its Future Soldier Program guidance for recruits waiting to ship to basic, with a cool-down of about 10 minutes. After a run, a ruck or a hard circuit, walk first, then stretch.

You need no equipment. You do need enough floor space to lie on your back with your arms straight out to the sides. A mat or grass makes the ground positions more comfortable.

How to do each exercise

The form below follows ATP 7-22.02. “Straddle stance” means feet about shoulder-width apart. Move slowly into each stretch, stop at a clear stretch sensation rather than pain, and hold still.

1. Overhead Arm Pull

1. Stand in the straddle stance with your hands on your hips.
2. Raise your left arm overhead. Grasp just above the left elbow with your right hand.
3. Pull to the right and lean your body to the right. You should feel the stretch in the back of the left arm (triceps) and along your left side.
4. Hold 20–30 seconds, return to the start, then repeat on the right side.

2. Rear Lunge

1. Straddle stance, hands on hips.
2. Take an exaggerated step backward with your left leg and touch down with the ball of your foot directly behind where it started.
3. Keep your back straight and your eyes forward. The stretch is in the front of the left thigh and hip.
4. Hold 20–30 seconds, return, then step back with the right leg.

3. Extend and Flex

1. Start in the front leaning rest (the top of a push-up).
2. Extend: keep your arms straight and let your hips sag toward the ground. Look straight ahead, not up. Relax your legs and low back, toes on the ground pointing to the rear. You feel this in the hips and abdominals. Hold 20–30 seconds, then return to the front leaning rest.
3. Flex: shift your weight onto the balls of your feet and raise your hips. Straighten your legs and try to touch the ground with your heels. Move your head between your arms and look toward your feet, back straight. Hold 20–30 seconds and return.

4. Thigh Stretch

1. Sit with your arms at your sides and palms on the floor.
2. Roll onto your right side. Place your right elbow and forearm on the ground directly below your shoulder, right hand in a fist with the thumb up.
3. Grasp your left ankle and pull it toward your left buttock. Use the heel of your right foot to push the left thigh further back.
4. Hold 20–30 seconds, come back through the sitting position, and repeat on the other side.

5. Single-Leg Over

1. Lie on your back with your arms straight out to the sides, palms down, feet together and your head on the ground.
2. Bend your left knee to 90 degrees and bring it over your right leg. Grasp the outside of the left knee with your right hand and pull it toward the right.
3. Keep your left shoulder and arm on the ground. The stretch is in the hip and low back.
4. Hold 20–30 seconds, return, then cross the right knee over to the left.

6. Groin Stretch

1. Straddle stance, hands on hips.
2. Take an exaggerated step to the right with your right leg and bend the right knee into a side lunge.
3. Keep your trunk and head facing forward. Hold the position, or sink into a deeper lunge, to stretch the inside of the left thigh for 20–30 seconds.
4. Return to the start and repeat to the left.

7. Calf Stretch

1. Straddle stance, hands on hips.
2. Step back with your left leg and place the foot flat on the ground 1–2 feet behind where it started.
3. Keep the left heel on the ground and bend both knees until you feel the stretch low in the calf, at the Achilles tendon. Hold 20–30 seconds.
4. Return, then repeat with the right leg. On this second leg, the manual adds a way to increase the stretch in the calf muscle: step further back and lock the back knee. Keep the back foot pointing forward throughout.

8. Hamstring Stretch

1. Sit with your arms at your sides and palms on the floor.
2. Reach forward with both hands and take hold of your feet, ankles or lower legs, wherever you can reach. Keep your knees straight but not locked.
3. Hold 20–30 seconds and return to the sitting position.
4. Repeat once, reaching slightly further.

The commands

In formation, the leader moves the group through each exercise with three commands from ATP 7-22.02:

• “READY, STRETCH”: move into the stretch and hold.
• “STARTING POSITION, MOVE”: return to the starting position.
• “CHANGE POSITION, READY, STRETCH”: switch sides on the Overhead Arm Pull, Thigh Stretch, Single-Leg Over and Groin Stretch, or move to the second position in the Extend and Flex. The Rear Lunge, Calf Stretch and Hamstring Stretch repeat “READY, STRETCH” for the second side or second reach.

The 2010 manual adds two details: the drill is not done to a cadence, and the leader does not count the seconds out loud. On your own, a silent count or a timer works fine.

Modified versions

ATP 7-22.02 also gives the Recovery Drill (Modified), the same eight exercises with a restricted range of motion. The manual calls it ideal for Soldiers who are reconditioning from injury, deconditioned or new to the Army, so it is a sensible starting point if you are stiff or new to training. For the Overhead Arm Pull and Rear Lunge, the manual says to do the standard stretch on the uninjured side if possible.

Exercise	Modification
Overhead Arm Pull	Pull the arm across the chest instead of overhead
Rear Lunge	Shorter step back, trunk upright, pelvis pushed forward, or step forward into the lunge instead
Extend and Flex	Forearms on the ground for the extend; for the flex, slide your hips back until you sit on your heels, arms on the ground overhead. A standing version, bending backward and forward for 20–30 seconds (or holding 10–15 seconds and repeating once), avoids weight on the arms but should not be used with a low back injury
Thigh Stretch	Keep the bottom leg straight instead of pushing with it
Single-Leg Over	Start with both knees bent at 90 degrees and feet on the ground, then lower both knees to one side
Groin Stretch	Smaller step to the side
Calf Stretch	Use the bent-knee version on both sides
Hamstring Stretch	Reach only until you feel the stretch, or bend one knee and stretch one leg at a time

What the recovery drill does, and what it doesn’t

ATP 7-22.02 describes most of the exercises as developing or increasing flexibility, and FM 7-22 says the drill is meant to improve flexibility and reduce muscle tightness. The research supports the flexibility part. It does not support some claims you will see repeated online.

• Range of motion: supported. The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2011 position stand recommends flexibility exercise to improve and maintain joint range of motion: the major muscle groups at least two days a week, with holds of 10–30 seconds adding up to about 60 seconds per exercise. One 20–30 second hold per side is less than that. If flexibility is your goal, run the drill twice. The 2010 manual allows a second set “if time allows.”
• Next-day soreness: not supported. A Cochrane review of 12 studies found that stretching before or after exercise does not cause clinically important reductions in delayed-onset soreness. Stretching after exercise reduced soreness one day later by about one point on a 100-point scale.
• Injury prevention: not supported by stretching alone. A 2014 meta-analysis of 25 trials found that stretching programs did not reduce sports injuries, while strength training programs cut them by about two thirds.

None of that makes the drill a waste of time. It is a calm, structured way to end a session and a reliable habit for keeping your hips, calves and shoulders mobile. Just don’t skip strength work and rest days because you stretched. For the training side, see the Army PRT exercises guide and how to plan rest days.

Where it fits in a session

Army PT sessions follow three phases: preparation, the main activity, then recovery. The Preparation Drill (10 exercises in FM 7-22) is the dynamic warm-up. The Recovery Drill is the static finish. FM 7-22 gives an example of a one-hour session focused on hypertrophy (muscle growth) with 15 minutes of preparation, 30 minutes of main activity and 15 minutes of recovery.

If you train on your own, use the same order: a dynamic warm-up before you train, the cool-down walk and the Recovery Drill after. The 2010 manual called for the drill at the end of all PT sessions, especially after the fitness test, the obstacle course and foot marches, so finish a day of ruck-ready conditioning with it too. On rest days, the mobility routine covers more joints.

Common mistakes

• Learning the five-exercise version. If you are studying for a board or leading PT, learn all eight in order.
• Skipping the walk. Going straight from sprints to the ground stretches skips the part of the cool-down meant to bring your heart rate down.
• Bouncing. These are static stretches. Ease in and hold still.
• Looking up in the Extend and Flex. The manual says gaze straight ahead, and do not look up.
• Lifting the shoulder in the Single-Leg Over. Keep the shoulder and arm on the side of the bent knee on the ground, or the twist leaves the low back.
• Turning the trunk in the Groin Stretch. Trunk and head face forward. The lunge goes sideways, not your chest.
• Locking the knees in the Hamstring Stretch. Straight, not locked. Grab your shins if your feet are out of reach.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 8 Army recovery drill exercises?

In order: Overhead Arm Pull, Rear Lunge, Extend and Flex, Thigh Stretch, Single-Leg Over, Groin Stretch, Calf Stretch and Hamstring Stretch. FM 7-22 lists the Recovery Drill as an eight-exercise drill, and ATP 7-22.02, including its September 2025 Change 1, gives the form for each one.

Is the Army recovery drill 5 or 8 exercises?

Eight under current doctrine. The five-exercise version, which ends at the Single-Leg Over, comes from the 2010 training circular TC 3-22.20 and the 2012 edition of FM 7-22. The October 2020 FM 7-22 and ATP 7-22.02 added the Groin Stretch, Calf Stretch and Hamstring Stretch. Change 1 to ATP 7-22.02 (September 2025) kept all eight.

How long do you hold each recovery drill stretch?

Twenty to 30 seconds per position. Most exercises have two holds, one for each side, and the Extend and Flex has two different positions. The older 2010 manual used 20 seconds in the toughening phase, building to 30 in the sustaining phase.

What are the commands for the PRT recovery drill?

The leader calls “READY, STRETCH” to move into the stretch and “STARTING POSITION, MOVE” to come out of it. Several exercises use “CHANGE POSITION, READY, STRETCH” for the second side or position; the rest repeat “READY, STRETCH”. The 2010 manual adds that the stretches are not done to a cadence.

How long does the recovery drill take?

The eight exercises add up to 16 holds. At 20 to 30 seconds each, that is 5 minutes 20 seconds to 8 minutes of holding, plus the time it takes to move between positions. The 2010 manual allowed about 15 minutes for recovery, walk included; FM 7-22 suggests a cool-down of about 10 minutes for future recruits.

Does the recovery drill prevent soreness or injury?

Not by itself, according to the research. A Cochrane review found that stretching after exercise does not meaningfully reduce next-day soreness, and a 2014 meta-analysis found no injury-prevention effect from stretching programs. Regular stretching does improve range of motion, which is what the Army says the drill is for.

Sources

• FM 7-22, Holistic Health and Fitness (October 2020), Table 6-2 and paragraphs 6-22, 6-26 and 14-22 (Future Soldier Program), UNC Charlotte Army ROTC copy
• ATP 7-22.02, Holistic Health and Fitness Drills and Exercises (October 2020, incorporating Change 1, September 2025), chapter 16, Army Publishing Directorate
• ATP 7-22.02 Preparation, Recovery and PMCS Drills excerpt, Colorado Army National Guard (archived copy)
• TC 3-22.20, Army Physical Readiness Training (March 2010), chapter 8, Longwood University Army ROTC copy
• FM 7-22, Army Physical Readiness Training (October 2012), chapter 8, ArmyCFTCalc copy
• Herbert RD, de Noronha M, Kamper SJ. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2011
• Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014
• Garber CE et al. ACSM Position Stand: Quantity and quality of exercise, 2011. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise