Can you touch your toes?

[bluedog225]

You know, straight leg.

I haven’t in 50 years. I’ve got a PT who says it’s doable. Just stretch each day. He has me using a chair for support. Warm up and stretch morning and night. And as I remember in the day.

Seems to be working some. Hands about 8 inches from the feet.

Supposed to help the knees and back.

It’s my (next) new year’s resolution.

[Canoeyawl]

From a standing position that is liable to damage your back.
(I've been told)
There are better hamstring stretches, usually from a sitting position

[ShorelineJohn]

Ten times a day, on a work day. At 65 it's not bad.
I have found 5 min of PT type exercise, takes 10 min if one includes the time it takes getting everybody together, creates a great work environment. Groups of 10 or so people. We have a very diverse work force, I want to see if we can count in a different language every day.

[LeeG]

Always have even when I was 40 lbs heavier. But like Canoeyawl says there are better ways. Try resting your upper body on a table then slowly flatten your lower back and rotate your butt out to stretch hamstrings. Or rest your forearms on the counter. Basically get the focus away from fingertips reaching to hamstrings lengthening.

[Jimmy W]

I just tried it. Yes, I can do it at 70. Left hand was pretty easy, took about 10-15 seconds to get right hand down at same time. No chair needed.

[David W Pratt]

Yes, but 35 years ago, I could put my hand flat on the floor.

[skuthorp]

I can still put my hands flat on the floor, buy it involves sticking your but out backwards and swiveling at the hip not bending your back.
I am the same weight that I was in my early 20's.0

[ron ll]

Yes, at 78. I still do it maybe once a week in the shower just to assure myself that I still can.

[Too Little Time]

My old overweight sister-in-law can put her palms on the ground. She always could.

I find the cramps in my calves when I wake up are sufficient stretching for the day.

[Harry Miller]

The ratio of the length of your body to length of your legs matters. My f-I-l was a couple of inches taller than me but his pants hardly went below my ankles. With his short legs and long body he could easily touch his toes. Me, on the other hand ….
At least that’s my story.

[Canoeyawl]

I can put both hands flat on the floor if I lie down on the same floor

[LeeG]

I can still put my hands flat on the floor, buy it involves sticking your but out backwards and swiveling at the hip not bending your back.
I am the same weight that I was in my early 20's.0

oh hell I’d have to lose 40 more lbs to get that light.

[WI-Tom]

Yep. I'm 6"0" tall, but I have a 34" inseam. Do the math, and you'll see there's no way in hell I'm gonna touch my toes - never could.

Depends how long your arms are!

Tom

[WI-Tom]

Partly it also depends on proper posture, and bending from the waist, not the hips. Much easier if you level your pelvis first, spine in line, then bend pretty much right at the navel. I see lots of people bending from a pivot point that's too low.

Tom

[bluedog225]

6682903[/URL]]Yep. I'm 6"0" tall, but I have a 34" inseam. Do the math, and you'll see there's no way in hell I'm gonna touch my toes - never could.

Same here. Doomed? We will see.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Same here. Doomed? We will see.

Stand with your heels agains a wall and then focus on keeping the back of the knees touching the wall - helps to keep the legs straight,

[Tom from Rubicon]

I have Hamstring flex workout every mourning.

[bobbys]

Dont know, did spend last week roofing while almost 70. Its keeping up with the 30 year olds thats hard.

[Joe (SoCal)]

Dont know, did spend last week roofing while almost 70. Its keeping up with the 30 year olds thats hard.

1 Did Mr Biden legitimately win the 2020 presidential election? If not, why not?
2. What do you think of the attempt to interfere by force with the electoral vote count on January 6, 2021? If you approve, explain.

[David W Pratt]

Stand with your heels agains a wall and then focus on keeping the back of the knees touching the wall - helps to keep the legs straight,

You will fall over.

[Peerie Maa]

My physio had me doing ham string and calf extensions after my femur was screwed back together.
Use the back of a chair or a wall to lean against.

[UCanoe_2]

Every time I cut my toenails. What's the issue?

[WI-Tom]

Little known fact - the distance from the tip of your middle finger on one hand to the other when your arms are outstretched is almost exactly equal to your height.

So, my 72" height minus my 16" from (inside) shoulder to shoulder, divided by 2 means my little 28" T-Rex arms will never reach my toes.

There's actually quite a bit of individual variability in that. Rock climbers know this as the "ape index"--if your arms are longer than your height, that's a positive ape index (which is generally regarded as an advantage in climbing, as it lets you reach more distant holds). If your arms are shorter, that's a negative ape index.

I'm 6' 2", my brother is 6' 3". I can reach higher than he can, by an inch or two.

Tom

[Ron Williamson]

I"m 5'11" with a wingspan of 6'1", and a 32" inseam.
I can flat palm the floor with a minute of stretching.
Pretty high ape index,I think.
R

[Nicholas Scheuer]

I can do it, sometimes, with a bit of warmup stretching. I take an exercise class at the Y twice most weeks.

[lupussonic]

Hands flat on the floor.

[Figment]

The ratio of the length of your body to length of your legs matters. My f-I-l was a couple of inches taller than me but his pants hardly went below my ankles. With his short legs and long body he could easily touch his toes. Me, on the other hand ….
At least that’s my story.

Same here. long torso, shorter legs. More of a sprinter than a marathoner

Can touch toes easily, give me few tries and I can go palms-on-floor.

I have yet to find my max deadlift.

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

I'd settle for being able to see my toes.

[Dave Hadfield]

Never. I grew 6 inches when I was 15, and lost that ability forever.

Long legs, short torso.

[Art Haberland]

I could before I got my hernia. I got cleared today to anything I want "within reason". In other words, if I feel any sort of discomfort, stop. Hopefully once all the bruising has gone down and the hard lumps softened, I can get back at it. I feel like a slug.

[Beowolf]

I’ve suffered from Spondylolisthesis for pretty much my entire life.

I don’t ever recall being able to touch my toes.

[L.W. Baxter]

i would not have suspected before just now that i have a low ape index.

but i can barely reach the top of my left shoulder with my right hand. touch my toes? not in this century.

i must be extra highly evolved.

[Robbie 2]

Only if I sit on the floor and bend my knees bringing my feet into my waist.
Of course, I then have the problem.........how do I stand back up?

[Hugh MacD]

Not since I fractured a bunch of lumbar vertebrae skiing. I can if I bend my knees, but otherwise no way, Jose. Makes putting foulies and sea boots on a bit of a challenge, too.

[Tom from Rubicon]

So after I touch my toes, knees locked, then what? I'm only 71. Granted, every day I do a flex stretch routine to keep for ever visiting another Chiropractor.