Out of this list, how many of these can you still do? (I’m assuming here that you went to a US public school sometime since 1960 when Kennedy instituted the national exercise standards.)
More than 10 sit-ups.
More than 10 push-ups.
Touch your toes.
Run or jog 1 lap around a football field.
At least one chin-up (girly-style acceptable)
A headstand, handstand, bridge, or bicycle.
I used to be quite the athlete in my younger days, and I had thoughts of playing pro baseball or pool. I haven’t really done anything in the past 20 years, but recently I have been having leg pains after walking for 20-30 minutes. I did a little stretching to help my calves, and I found out that touching my toes isn’t as easy as it used to be. I also seem unable to stretch as far as I used to.
I’m just wondering if people still can do basic exercises anymore.
I can only do the same three I could do before. I am only 25, so I’m not surprised I can still do them.
Specifically, I never could touch my toes. They tried to make me in kindergarden, and the only way I could do it was to spread my legs out so far that I was practically doing the splits. (that or bend my knees). I don’t know why teachers had this idea that, if you weren’t in shape, they could force you to be, rather than teaching you how to gradually become more flexible.
I have only been able to touch my toes at one point in my life, when I had a field hockey coach who was big into flexibility and fitness - after four months under her “gentle” care, I was the fittest and most flexible I’ve ever been - sadly no longer…
Can do more now than I ever could. Roughly 40 pushups in one ‘sitting’. About 25 pullups. Do situps for probably 30min if I wanted. Also touch my palms on the floor (no shoes).
I’m nearly 48 and I can do the first 5. As for 6 -
If a headstand is resting on one’s head and forearms with your feet in the air, away from a wall - not going to happen. Against a wall; maybe but I have no intention of finding out.
I could probably do a handstand against a wall after a few attempts, but in the open I wouldn’t stay up more than a micro-second.
Is a bridge like a “crab” where you arch your body backwards? If so, not a chance.
A bicycle is the one where you pedal your legs in the air, yes? I can do that.
I can do push-ups… sort of. I can push myself off of the ground but the way I was taught to do them you’re not supposed to touch the ground on the way down. I can’t lower myself without touching the ground. So I didn’t count push-ups.
I can touch touch my toes really easily. I’m surprised others can’t though I guess it has to do with the length of your arms and legs.
I can jog around a football field. Running it would fucking kill me.
I don’t know if I can do chin-ups. Never tried. Not once in my life. I’m assuming that I can’t. What’s girly style chin-ups? I know what girly push-ups are.
When I was in school, boys had to do 10-25 actual chin ups to pass the PE exam, but girls had to just hang onto the bar with their chins over it for X seconds. AFAIK, no girls were required to actually pull themselves up over the bar. They could even stand on a chair to start.
I could never touch my toes in school. Since I had kids (great for muscle relaxation) and started doing yoga I can get my knuckles down. Score! I can also jog a mile (if I have to) and do the sit-ups (just) and (girly) pushups.
I found bicycle and bridge descriptions. Yep, they’re good. No way in hell I have the coordination for a head- or hand-stand though.
I’m 42 and two years ago couldn’t do any of them; now I could do all six and more. To answer #5, I just went and did two full pull-ups on a doorframe using just my fingertips to see if I could. And I could, which is gratifying. Now I need a lie-down.
One assumption was that you had to do these things to pass a typical PE class from 1965-1990.
I had to do a headstand in PE in 7th grade and we also had to do a tumble over 3 mats (~3 ft high). My last year in high school, I had to do 25 chin ups. In 6th grade, we had to run a mile in under 10 minutes.
I could have done all except touch my toes … and there’s really no way to make an unflexible person into a flexible one in the confines of a 45 minute class.
Also, I don’t think my ultimate ligament-relaxing method would have been completely approved of in a high school student
I never could touch my toes. Or do a hand/head-stand.
All the others are no problem.
(I also remember when they switched from hands-behind-the-head situps to hands-crossed-over-chest situps. Becuase people discovered that hands-behind-the-head puts a lot of strain on the neck/spine.
I’m 47. I can’t imagine not being able to touch my toes. I used to be able to put my palms flat on the ground, and I think that would be a lot more difficult now. My main sports were football, American football and swimming. For swimming in particular you need to be pretty flexible.
I would have no problem except that I could never do chin-ups. Seriously, I have the upper body strength of a kitten with the flu. Other than that, none of those are a problem.
I have never been able to touch my toes. I can’t do many sit ups or push ups and I definitely absolutely cannot pull myself up onto anything. I don’t know what a bridge or bicycle is, but I bet I can’t do them.
