# Can you touch your toes without bending your knees? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405 "2002-05-05T18:10:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fish_in_the_sky)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/21 "2002-05-06T01:44:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mermaid \* > \*\* > > Mmmmmm, Obsecenely flexible šŸ˜ƒ \*\* I can put both legs behind my head, too. [sub]oops, was that out loudā€¦?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![ClairificC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ea924/32.png) [@ClairificC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClairificC)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/22 "2002-05-06T02:08:14Z")
Lots of Ballet and dance gives you the flexibility to get in lots of strange positions. Palms on the ground is just the beginingā€¦ There much more intersting positions that I can bend myself into. Flexibility can be lots of fun. ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/23 "2002-05-06T02:35:09Z")
Yup. Palms flat on floor in front or beside feet gives me no pain. Iā€™ve always been really flexible, and I was a gymnast for three years as a teen. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/24 "2002-05-06T04:15:56Z")
Sure, I always have been able to, working out or not. No pain or unusual effort needed. The ā€œpalms to the floorā€ thing is somewhat more of a challenge. Really warmed up and stretched, itā€™s a definite ā€œmaybeā€. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/25 "2002-05-06T04:23:08Z")
Yep, I can get fingers to the toes with no problem. If I turn my hands in I can get the first two joints of my fingers on the floor. Palms to floor - no way in hell. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/26 "2002-05-06T07:04:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > **Finger tips to toes or palms flat to floor with locked knees? Practically anyone who isnā€™t morbidly obese or mobility impaired can do the first easily.** I canā€™t. ā˜¹ If I really strain, I can touch my ankles, but thatā€™s about as far as I can go. I even have short legs. But every time I try to touch my toes, the back of my knees feel really tight and I have to stop. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/27 "2002-05-06T07:13:49Z")
Yep, I can. Always have. Iā€™m not particularly thin, either, and definitely not an athlete. I think Iā€™d have to work up to palms on floor, though. I think I recall being able to do it at one time, but not right now! ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/28 "2002-05-06T07:19:09Z")
As soon as I saw the title of this thread, I tried it. And did it. Which says to me that my belly isnā€™t as large as I feared. Take THAT, heavy liquor! Canā€™t do that palm thing, though. Youā€™re asking for too much there. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/29 "2002-05-06T07:20:12Z")
I can touch my toes without warmup. Palms flat on the floor - thatā€™ll take some stretching first, I think. When I get home from work Iā€™ll give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/30 "2002-05-06T08:17:22Z")
I can do this despite being the fatso that I am. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/31 "2002-05-06T13:04:42Z")
Whatā€™re toes? šŸ˜ƒ Robin, who hasnā€™t seen her feet in about a month ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/32 "2002-05-06T17:18:39Z")
Sure. Actually, itā€™s a ā€œfitness checkā€ for me. If at any time touching the floor without bending knees feels strained, I know itā€™s time to get back into a fitness routine and off my ass. Palms on the floor, though? No. Never been flexible at all, donā€™t think I could ever do it, but now I have something new to work towards! ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/33 "2002-05-06T18:17:44Z")
I can definitely touch my toes, I can put my fingers under by toes touching the floor, and I can lay my palms on the floor both in front of and between my feet. Iā€™ve been taking a yoga class, so Iā€™m pretty flexible, but I could always touch my toes. Short legs and all. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/34 "2002-05-06T18:21:44Z")
Not in the morning. But, by midday I can get my fingertips to toes and I can get my knuckles on the ground in the evening. (With a lot of stretching over time, I can do the whole palms to the floor thing.) ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/35 "2002-05-06T18:25:41Z")
Yep, touch toes no problem at all. I can also touch my palms to the floor if I stretch a bit first, despite my respectable beer gut. ---
**Author:** ![bafaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@bafaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bafaa)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/36 "2002-05-06T18:50:44Z")
I could always touch my toes and lay palms flat. I was surprised as a child when I found out that some of my friends couldnā€™t even touch their toes! I just assumed everyone could. Iā€™m almost 33 :eek: and I can still touch my toes but laying the palms flat is getting harder to do. I should probably start doing some stretching and excercising. (Yeah! Iā€™ll start tomorrow! ;)) ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/37 "2002-05-06T19:09:44Z")
I can touch my toes without bending my knees and itā€™s not painful, but the real ā€œfeetā€ (ok, someone hit me for that pun) is with a little pain I can put my palms flat on the ground. If anyone wants me to prove it e-mail me and Iā€™ll take a pic of me doing it. (/me has no life) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/38 "2002-05-06T19:29:50Z")
Heavens, no [she says, having another sip of tea]. I hire other people to touch my toes FOR me. ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/39 "2002-05-06T19:59:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bafaa \* > I could always touch my toes and lay palms flat. I was surprised as a child when I found out that some of my friends couldnā€™t even touch their toes! I just assumed everyone could. Me too! I always wondered, ā€œWhatā€™s wrong with them?ā€ And then I met people who couldnā€™t do cartwheels, and my whole world stopped making sense. šŸ™‚ I can still do a split too, despite my generous size. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405/40 "2002-05-06T20:05:27Z")
**shrew** , I can do splits too, with _a lot_ of stretching. Which, I believe, is more unusual for a guy than a girl. But I could never manage a cartwheel, no matter how hard I tried. (Which, admittedly, was not that hard.) Iā€™m pretty dextrous generally, and very flexible, but I canā€™t do cartwheels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-touch-your-toes-without-bending-your-knees/107405.md?page=3)