I have always been extremely inflexible even when I were a lad but these days (38 now) seems to be getting much harder.
In fact getting beyond my knees sometimes is a bit tough!
I have been trying to do some stretching on a daily basis now but to date its not making much difference…
Anyone else suffer similarly?

90% of the population

I can barely get past my knees. I’ve been this inflexible for years and cycling hasn’t helped

Cycling shortens the hamstrings doesn’t it?

If it’s massively important I’d try some simple gentle yoga strecthes on a daily basis.

Something getting in the way? 😉

no.. but although very trim and athletic.. I do have trouble bringing my knees up to my chest in a morning to put my socks on. It’s weird as I can do it now without a problem, just in the morning it’s an issue.. full bladder maybe?. (yes I am at work.. and yes.. people will be wondering why I’m pulling my knees up to my chest)

Bren not sure what you could be getting at there!?
😯

I think half the folk on here have trouble seeing them!

😉

Although not as inflexible as you, I decided that I needed to improve if I was going to enjoy an active life at 40 and beyond.
Took up yoga, and as well as it being a welcome change from my harder training, it has really helped in the hamstring and lower back area.

No, not really. I can put both hands flat on the ground, and if I warm up enough, can still do the splits

Me. Never been able to touch them – my back doesn’t seem to ‘curl’ as it should.

Used to do a lot of time-trialling and the non-curling back thing led to all sorts of problems with my position on the bike.

Excellent, i thought i was a freak ‘cos I can only reach just below my knees ……

I can put both hands flat on the ground, and if I warm up enough, can still do the splits

TSY could have some fun with that statement

Never understood why people have trouble touching them, till I was diagnosed with having mild hypermobilty last year 🙂

I have much the same problems, even at 20 my shortened hamstrings were making touching the floor impossible.

This

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-153188/The-yoga-workout.html

made a hell of a difference. I don’t do it anywhere near as often as I should, but it’s still bloody amazing. NB it’ll take a few weeks for you to get to know the feeling of the stretches working correctly, you have to learn how to relax into them.

I think its often mistaken for an indication of fitness IME.

I used to but a bit of simple stretching for a couple of months and I was fine.

My wife is so inflexible she cant even straighten her legs properly 😥 This probably comes from years sitting on her feet. Why do women do that it must be so uncomfortable!

My wife is so inflexible she cant even straighten her legs properly

Careful, this could get messy

I suffer from a bad lower back. The physio said my hamstrings are too tight and causing the back problems. I don’t stretch as often as I should however when I feel my back starting to stiffen up I find stretching the hamstrings sorts it out.
I suppose we all should be more disciplined and stretch after exercise, I prefer a nice cold bottle of ale lol 😀

Cycling shortens the hamstrings doesn’t it?

thats what I said when a physio chuckled as I struggled to touch my toes at an assessment session. He said that’s cobblers.

bit of irregular stretching first thing and after the ride into work and now I can just touch my toes

surfer – Member
I think its often mistaken for an indication of fitness IME.

I’m extremely unfit and about 5 stone overwieght, can touch my toes and beyond no bother… i suspect it’s got bugger all to do with fitness!

Never have been able to, even as a kid. I can just about reach mid-shin. Really couldn’t care less. People try to tell me that my lack of flexibility will hold me back and no doubt for yoga, gymnastics etc they’re right. But for riding a bike and my general life? It’s never been a hindrance.

A flexibility test was part of a set of tests I had to do at a gym – scale was 0 to 100, based on how far you could reach forward when sitting with your legs straight out in front.

The guy had to go to the office to get a ruler so he could measure back from the start of the scale, giving me a score of -30 🙂

I do have trouble bringing my knees up to my chest in a morning to put my socks on.

Try some gentle cat stretches. Focus on tilting your pelvis, rather than arching your back, then spine curves will follow naturally. Keep your stomach muscles relaxed.

Then do child pose for a few minutes, again relax everything into stretch, work on getting your knees as close together as you can while letting you weight relax down.

Then you should be able to put your socks on.

Sun Salutation sequence also great.

Google for cat stretches and child pose. Common yoga/pilates moves.

Regular yoga classes will definitely help.
I am mega inflexible. It’s embarrassing at ax yoga class when you can’t even get into the start pose.

Touching your toes is also about back flexibility. If you want to know how flexible your hamstrings are lay on your back and lift a leg up straight, pull it back towards you using your hands and see how far you can get it.

All the physios i’ve seen (and i’ve my fair share) say the above it the best way to stretch your hamstrings because you’re not using gravity to help and you’re not relying on your back.

According to my dancer chums its also to do with training the muscles and back and not short hamstrings.

I think this is a yoga move but they all seem to do it. I have tried it and it works.
Sit on the floor with one leg outstretched, the other bent. put your hands around the bent foot and pull towards you. Lean gently forwards and feel the muscle on the outstretched leg stretch. repeat a few times then turn about for a few more stretches. For me I could touch my toes again in about 2 weeks with barely disciplined repetition.

And no bouncing with any stretch, you’ll do yourself an injury.

I never recall being able to touch my toes with legs straight. I don’t find it a problem, I have knees in the middle of my legs that I can use if I want to touch my feet 🙂

It’s also the reason I always liked mixed classes at the gym. In an all female class I’d stand out as v. inflexible, if there’s men about they’re normally worse.

And no bouncing with any stretch, you’ll do yourself an injury.

That’s rubbish for a start.

Never have been able to, even as a kid. I can just about reach mid-shin.

Me too. And I was mercilessly ridiculed by one particular PE teacher for it. Although I can do it with regular stretching exercises.

Of course, know we know that naturally, according to build, (I was very tall and lanky), some people naturally can’t touch their toes without a huge amount of work. My partner can put her palms on the floor with absolutely no trouble at all, and she’s nowhere near as fit and active as me.

No problem.

Yoga is cool. Start by touching your toes and in a few years build up to this

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8AIKvld4jU[/video]

That’s a totally different movement to touching your toes. I can put one leg behind my head no problem, still can’t touch my toes.

I can barely see my willy if I lean over let alone touch my toes.

Both hands flat on the floor no problem.

I was 40 in November, so I’m pretty happy with that 🙂

i think i would be far too stiff in Kino McGregors yoga classes^^^^^^ 😈

I can touch my toes pretty easily not sure what all the fuss is about.
In lying on the sofa and it wasn’t that hard.

Struggle to touch them? I’ve not seen them in 15years,, hence why I post on the STW Fatties thread….

Can touch my toes no probs (47yo with a bit of a belly). I though most folks could?

No, not really. I can put both hands flat on the ground, and if I warm up enough, can still do the splits

Same here, but I stretch. A lot. Hubby is embarrassingly inflexible in some parts. I’m sure it can’t be good for you to be so stiff and wound up?

I can almost put my palms on the ground.

…no splits, though.