What Lucy is
Lucy is a guided stretching app for iPhone, built for people who sit for most of the day and feel tight.
You pick a routine. A timer counts you through it, one stretch at a time, and tells you when to switch sides. That is the whole interaction.
It runs on iOS 18 or later. There is no Android build and no web version.
What is in it
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Routines | 16 |
| Stretches | 59 |
| Length of a routine | 4 to 6 minutes |
| Routines needing no floor or mat | 3 |
| Free | 1 routine, in full, forever |
| Account required | None |
| Works offline | Yes |
| Platform | iPhone, iOS 18 or later |
Sixteen routines is not a large library and is not meant to be. The thing Lucy competes on is whether you do a routine today, not how many are available.
Why short, and why no streaks
Two design decisions that explain most of the app.
Everything is four to six minutes. This is not arbitrary. A 2025 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine, pooling 189 studies and 6,654 adults, found that gains within a single stretching session flattened at roughly four minutes per muscle group, and that weekly gains flattened at around ten minutes per muscle group however those minutes were divided. Long sessions are not where the returns are.
There is no streak. The progress screen counts the days you completed a routine. It does not count the days you did not. A missed day is not a failure state, and no screen in the app implies it is.
Who it is for
- People who sit most of the day: desk workers, drivers, anyone whose hips and lower back complain after a long sit.
- People who are not flexible and have been using that as a reason to wait. The research above found the largest gains in the people who started with the least range.
- People who want a timer and a sequence, not a video library to browse.
Who it is not for
Worth saying plainly, because it will save some people a download.
- Athletes chasing splits as a training goal. There are three "path" routines in Lucy, but this is not a flexibility training programme and it does not progress you through levels.
- Anyone who wants instructor-led video classes. Lucy is illustrations and a timer. If a human on screen is what keeps you going, STRETCHIT or Pliability are built for that and you will be happier there.
- Android users. There is no build, and a "coming soon" promise would be worse than saying so.
- Anyone looking for treatment for a condition or an injury. Lucy is a general wellness app. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it is not adapted to any injury or diagnosis. If you are seeking treatment, seek treatment. Our fitness and safety note sets out what that means before you start.
How it compares
| App | Platform | Format | Session length | Built around |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucy | iPhone | Illustrated, timed | 4 to 6 min | Doing it today |
| Bend | iPhone, Android | Illustrated, timed | Varies | A large routine library and streaks |
| STRETCHIT | iPhone, Android | Instructor-led video classes | 5 to 45 min | Deep flexibility and splits |
| Pliability | iPhone, Android | Video, daily uploads | Varies | Athletes and CrossFit |
The honest summary of that table: Lucy is the smallest of the four and the only one that will not show you a streak. If library size is what you are shopping for, it is the wrong choice. We wrote the longer comparisons at Lucy vs Bend and Lucy vs STRETCHIT.
What it costs
One routine is free in full, forever. Not a preview, not a trial: the whole routine.
The other fifteen are a subscription, with a 7-day free trial. Prices are regional and set per App Store territory, so the App Store listing is the only accurate place to read them. There is no one-off purchase and no lifetime option.
There are no ads at any tier, and no cross-app tracking.
Privacy, briefly
No account, no signup, no email address. The app works offline. There is no HealthKit connection, no wearable integration and no third-party device support.
The privacy policy is the full version.
FAQ
What is the best stretching app for people who sit all day?
That depends on what stops you doing it. If the obstacle is time, a short-routine app like Lucy fits. If the obstacle is motivation and a human voice helps, an instructor-led app like STRETCHIT suits better. If you want the biggest library, Bend and Pliability are larger than Lucy by a wide margin.
Is Lucy free?
One of the sixteen routines is free in full and forever, with no account. The other fifteen need a subscription, which has a 7-day free trial. Prices differ by territory, so the App Store listing is the place to check.
Do you need to be flexible to use it?
No. Every stretch has a chair or standing version and the cues describe where to feel it rather than how far to go. The Sports Medicine review above found the biggest improvements among the people who started out least flexible.
Is there an Android version of Lucy?
No. Lucy is iPhone only, iOS 18 or later, and there is no Android build in progress to promise.
Do you need a mat?
Not for all of it. Three of the sixteen routines work standing, fully dressed, in about a square metre. The floor-based ones work on carpet, and a cushion makes the kneeling stretches easier.
How long does each routine take?
Between four and six minutes. Nothing in the app runs longer than six. Any individual stretch can be shortened before you start, and the app remembers what you chose.