Four Exercises to Improve Your Flexibility and Help You Touch Your Toes
Being able to touch your toes definitely means flexibility, but it’s also a good indicator of how well you can lift heavy objects, move around in daily life, squat or deadlift in the gym. If you can’t reach your toes, these exercises will help.
Try touching your toes first. It should look like this. If you can’t touch your toes, you may have tight hamstrings, but often deeper. Your entire back, collectively called the back chain, is tied, so what at first glance might appear to be a hamstring problem may also be a lower back problem, or vice versa. Try this 2 Minute Flexibility Exercise:
- Standing Toe Stretch: Focus on articulating hips rather than simply bending at the waist (and therefore rounding the back) to reach down. If your hips are too tight , it will be difficult for you.
- Cat / Camel: These two movements together help to relax the tight lower back.
- Star Stretch: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, raise both arms towards the sky and slowly lower one arm towards the opposite leg. Do the same with the other hand.
- Moon the Sky: As the name suggests, you’re trying to shove your ass right in the air. This is actually a great way to practice squatting .
Hold each position for 30 seconds and do these stretches several times a week. Continue to gauge your progress by trying to touch your toes. If your range of motion has increased, that’s progress.
How to Touch Your Toes: Become a Bendy Like Gumby | Nerd Fitness