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  • Can you touch your toes?
  • YoKaiser
    Free Member

    Much to the amusement of my colleagues I’m nowhere near able to touch my toes (about 10 1/2″ away!). I’ve blamed it on cycling giving me tight hamstrings and calves. Years ago I read an article that suggested stretching was overrated and added little real benefit to physical fitness, this was enough for me to sack any notion of stretching, though I seem to have negelected it a bit too much. Anyone else really bad at this, or is stretching a part of your routine? I’d also be interested why its used as a measure of fitness, is it really that relevant?

    hammyuk
    Free Member

    I like you but I’m not falling for that one again……

    wingnuts
    Full Member

    With about three hours of stretching/warming up I get there. Got significantly harder over there last year though. As have my arteries I think.

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    Palms flat on the floor here. Only used to stretch as part of martial arts. Was told recently by a well respected physio not to both stretching routinely, only to do it if needed for a particular reason. Some people are naturally more flexible.

    If you’re going to stretch, the new thinking seems to be that it should be under load otherwise you develop extra range with no control, which can lead to injury ironically.

    bencooper
    Free Member

    Hands almost flat on the floor – also from martial arts. I think the intrinsic benefits are mixed – over stretching can be harmful, but using muscles over a wider range of motion can be beneficial.

    ebygomm
    Free Member

    No, have never been able to touch my toes with legs straight, even as a child.

    I’ve never found it hindered me in any way at all, I have knees that bend that allow access to my feet 🙂

    lerk
    Free Member

    Yes…

    when sat on the floor with my knees crossed!

    Actually, I can just about manage it since I’ve started running a bit. My calves and quads are no longer quite what they used to be either.

    sandwicheater
    Full Member

    Am I aloud to bend my knees?

    Not at the moment. Can generally touch them if stretch each day for about a week. Could put palms on floor when doing circuits twice a week.

    Hold on…………cripes, well short!

    psling
    Free Member

    Yes. Do a series of stretches most mornings and have done for years since a serious back injury. Includes hamstrings and glutes which I feel helps to ‘balance’ my knees as well as my back.
    psling – nearly 60, 200lbs +, 38″ waist 8)

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    Touch them?

    I’ve not seen them since the millenium.

    IanMunro
    Free Member

    I can touch them easily. Never bother stretching.
    Always amused me when I’d go to physios, I’d say I cycle, they’d say, You’ll have tight hamstrings!, let’s see you try and touch your toes.
    Oh.
    However I was recently diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome which appears to be another way of saying you can touch your toes.

    stevomcd
    Free Member

    Started doing Yoga recently. Gone from barely reaching past my knees to hands flat on the floor. Recommended!

    It’s not just the hamstrings that are the problem (from bike riding), it’s the lower back too and better flexibility there is definitely a good thing.

    docgeoffyjones
    Full Member
    SilentSparky
    Free Member

    Yep, like a couple of the above from Martial Arts training, easier if I warm up for a couple of minutes beforehand though.

    parkesie
    Free Member

    Palms flat here

    SiB
    Free Member

    Nope, my arms are obviously too short, nothing to do with flexibility

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Only just, I do a bit of running and **** all stretching

    LadyGresley
    Free Member

    Palms almost flat for me – despite being fat and unfit 😀

    MostlyBalanced
    Free Member

    I can touch my toes once I’m an hour or two into the day. Straight out of bed in the morning I’m nowhere near.

    Esme
    Free Member

    Same as Lady G. I also have short legs and long arms – perfect for kayaking 😉

    bwfc4eva868
    Free Member

    Not at the moment but usually I can.

    emac65
    Free Member

    In my 48 years of life I’ve never been able to touch my toes,never really felt the need to either tbh…….

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    Easily (44)

    Bregante
    Full Member

    Also 44 and have always been able to touch my toes easily. Palms almost flat on the floor after a warm up.

    mcnultycop
    Full Member

    Now, just. After a squat or deads session, easily.

    brakes
    Free Member

    I never used to be able to but since riding a road bike everyday I can.

    closetroadie
    Free Member

    Yes.
    Though I’m wary of stretching some muscles. My calf muscle ‘popped’ out when stretching lying in bed. Now it happens occasionally when I try and extend my foot down when on the bike.
    Its agony, I have to push it back in with my thumbs.

    JAG
    Full Member

    Yes I can – palms almost flat 🙂

    I’m 46 and reasonably fit. I remember reading somewhere an Olympic medal Winners Coach saying that “a long muscle is a strong muscle…”

    I stretch every day now as part of my Morning routine; Breakfast/Wash/Stretch/Get dressed/leave for work 😆

    holst
    Free Member

    I do not wish to touch my toes, nor any other person’s toes, and I do not understand this obsession. Did you learn this in school, is this why you worry about such a thing?

    Superficial
    Free Member

    This worked for me:

    http://www.bikejames.com/strength/how-to-touch-your-toes-without-stretching/

    That seemed ridiculously effective.

    I consider myself to be relatively fit (I’m 29), but I can normally get nowhere near my toes. Just tried that tip and can now touch my toes easily. Very odd. I don’t really believe I’m better off now though.

    seanthesheap
    Free Member

    No chance, my fat belly gets in the way. 😯

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    YoKaiser – Member
    Much to the amusement of my colleagues I’m nowhere near able to touch my toes (about 10 1/2″ away!). I’ve blamed it on cycling giving me tight hamstrings and calves. Years ago I read an article that suggested stretching was overrated and added little real benefit to physical fitness, this was enough for me to sack any notion of stretching, though I seem to have negelected it a bit too much. Anyone else really bad at this, or is stretching a part of your routine? I’d also be interested why its used as a measure of fitness, is it really that relevant?

    Haha! If you went doon any further you’d get yer beard hair caught up wi yer baw hair!.

    LoCo
    Free Member

    Yes, just, that hurt quite a bit 👿

    cakefacesmallblock
    Full Member

    Yep. Palms flat (53).

    whippersnapper
    Free Member

    No. Never been able to. Even after a year and a half of yoga I still can’t.

    nuke
    Full Member

    Nope, not even close…tried to touch my ankles and failed at that too. Can touch my knees 😀

    yunki
    Free Member

    closer now than in the last 30 odd years.. mainly due to stretching my hamstrings to alleviate knee pain

    can I touch your toes..?

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    Flat palms here, & I’m fat, 45 & ginger.
    But hey, at least I can impress chicks with this new skill that some of you lot can’t.

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    Can you just give me a few minutes 🙂

    JCL
    Free Member

    My physio trained a team of ultra runners. None could touch their knees but were hardly ever injured.

    Flexibility is overrated according to him.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 59 total)

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