# Can you still touch your toes? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 1, 2010, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471 "2010-06-01T07:35:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/1 "2010-06-01T07:35:02Z")
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.) 1. More than 10 sit-ups. 2. More than 10 push-ups. 3. Touch your toes. 4. Run or jog 1 lap around a football field. 5. At least one chin-up (girly-style acceptable) 6. 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. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/2 "2010-06-01T07:43:09Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/3 "2010-06-01T07:50:02Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![Lunchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Lunchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunchy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/4 "2010-06-01T08:14:44Z")
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). Could’nt do a quarter of that 10 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/5 "2010-06-01T09:37:04Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/6 "2010-06-01T09:47:59Z")
I can do quite a few sit-ups. 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. I’ve tried to do a headstand. No way in hell. So three. Four if you count my pathetic push-ups. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/7 "2010-06-01T10:07:00Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > What’s girly style chin-ups? 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. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/8 "2010-06-01T10:18:48Z")
You don’t have an option for “I got better” 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](http://www.home-workout-routines.com/bicycle.html) and [bridge](http://www.home-workout-routines.com/bridgeexercises.html) descriptions. Yep, they’re good. No way in hell I have the coordination for a head- or hand-stand though. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/9 "2010-06-01T10:29:57Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/10 "2010-06-01T10:31:19Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > You don’t have an option for “I got better” How’d you pass PE? 😃 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. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/11 "2010-06-01T11:20:57Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > How’d you pass PE? 😃 by not being American! 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 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/12 "2010-06-01T11:36:24Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/13 "2010-06-01T11:55:05Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/14 "2010-06-01T12:32:51Z")
I was dubious on 6 until I found out what a bicycle or bridge was. Then I tried and it turns out I CAN do a handstand, wow, I feel cool. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/15 "2010-06-01T13:05:48Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/16 "2010-06-01T13:14:36Z")
I have always been able to touch my toes and do a bridge, and still can. In school, I could not run a football field lap or do 10 situps. Now I can. In school, I could do 10 girl-style pushups, but now cannot due to a shoulder injury. I have never been able to do a chin-up, although if not for the shoulder injury I might be able to. Hard to say. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/17 "2010-06-01T13:26:45Z")
Actually, one weird thing about me is that I can do more pull-ups than Chin-ups. People say this shouldn’t happen, but it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/18 "2010-06-01T13:33:52Z")
I’m 47. I can do them all. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/19 "2010-06-01T13:48:01Z")
I’m 40 and I can do all of these. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471/20 "2010-06-01T14:03:14Z")
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. I can run, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-still-touch-your-toes/541471.md?page=2)