Have you resulted to sandals because you just cannot seem to reach your feet when putting on socks?Well at first I thought this article would have been ideal for those above 65 years old but that is not the case today. Whenever we are out for medical camps we always come across those who cannot touch their toes. They may be as young as teenagers.
Try carrying out the following test:
Stand with your feet together. Keep your knees locked. Slowly bend forward and touch your toes. Can you reach them? If it takes a bit of effort to get to those toes then I urge you to act now!
Developing proper flexibility and mobility is crucial when it comes to strength training – not being able to touch your toes can reveal a plethora of muscle imbalances that leads to poor form (and potential injury) when performing major movements such as squats, deadlifts, olympic lifts, and more.
Better flexibility and range of motion boosts our strength gains (and vice versa!).
If you are unable to touch your toes, it is most likely because of one of these four major reasons:
1) Shortened/tight posterior chain muscles. Although most people think not being able to touch our toes just means your hamstring muscles are inflexible, in reality our whole system (including the lower back) can play a huge role as well. You see, the posterior chain is an interconnected series of muscles that includes our back muscles, muscles along our spine, lower back muscles, buttocks, hamstrings and calf muscles. Weak mobility points in one place in the system, can become debilitating (and often easy to spot) when we do compound movements like the deadlift.
If you are somebody who sits at a desk all day and struggles to touch your toes, you probably are not strengthening or lengthening these muscles because the chair is doing all of the work for you.
2) You have relatively long legs compared to your torso and arms. People with long legs and short torsos will have a greater challenge than people who have short legs and long torsos and arms. But fear not, you too can level up and get those toes touched.
3) You have too much body fat. If you are overweight and happen to have a big stomach, it can certainly make touching one’s toes more challenging. Because you already know that diet is 90% of the battle when it comes to weight loss, focus on nutrition to begin losing weight. This may be a factor in making it easier to touch your toes.
4) You are not warmed up yet. If you just woke up or spent all day in a car, you are familiar with the rigidity that makes you feel like a steel girder. Your muscles act like rubber bands; the more they are used, the more they are warmed-up, and the further they can stretch. This is why we encourage people to go through a warm-up before exercise!
Everyday Stretches to Improve Flexibility
1) Standing toe touch stretch: Flex/activate the front of your legs, keep them straight, and bend over at the waist just past the point of discomfort; hold that position for 30 seconds. Repeat this process every other day and hold it for 30 seconds.
2) Star Stretch! Stand with your legs spread wide, and arms extended (hence the term Star!), and then reach down with one hand to your opposite leg; hold for five seconds, back to start, and repeat with the other leg.
3) “Moon the Sky” stretch! This is a great stretch to mix into your pr-workout warm-up to get your legs, butt, and back prepared for work:
- Squat down and put your hands under your feet
- Slowly move your buttocks up with your hands remaining under your feet.
- Raise your buttocks and try to straighten your legs
- Go a bit higher each time until you can fully straighten your legs!
If you experience pain or are still not improving then it is a sign of other things going on in your body. This may be a good signal to you that you should see a physiotherapist for a general review and advice to help you get back to being supple and functioning.
Good luck! Hopefully soon you will be singing “heads, shoulders, knees and toes” with a big grin on your face!
References:
Jessie Snowdon,Physical Therapist New Zealand
Nerdyfitness.com
