# How Limber Are You? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 2, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486 "2007-06-02T15:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/1 "2007-06-02T15:42:49Z")
O.K. up off your tuchus and see how far you can reach downward whilst keeping your legs straight. I can’t reach my toes but can come within six inches. The wife demonstrated that she can easily touch her toes and said there was a time when she could rest her palms on the floor with ease. Anyone else? No bouncing by the way. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/2 "2007-06-02T15:50:08Z")
Without stretching or warming up, I can get within 4 or 5 inches of my toes - hard to judge since I wear progressive bifocals, and the view I get from the position is somewhat distorted. Even in my most limber days, I could never rest my hands on the floor. I blame my mom for not letting me take ballet lessons when I was 6… ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/3 "2007-06-02T15:54:47Z")
Without bending my knees, it is uncomfortable to sit at a 90-degree angle. I cannot get my fingertips less than ten inches away from my toes. I have always been like this, even when I was eight years old, even when I stretched every day. When I do just one leg at a time off to the side, though, a little warming up make it possible for me to grab a foot. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/4 "2007-06-02T15:55:52Z")
With no warming up, I can rest the tips of my fingers on the floor. Ow. I’ve just realized how long it’s been since my last yoga class. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/5 "2007-06-02T15:58:53Z")
Despite being a bigger girl, I can still flathand the floor standing feet together, legs straight. Comfortably. Many years of dance and gymnastics combined with daily stretching has left me more limber than I probably should be. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/6 "2007-06-02T15:59:45Z")
Palms on the floor, elbows bent. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/7 "2007-06-02T16:18:20Z")
Without warm up, I can still get my palms flat on the floor. I’ve always been limber, and had loads of gymnastics classes, dance classes, and was involved in cheerleading when I was young. I’m double-jointed, so I think that may help a little? Despite being an old lady of 36, I can still cartwheel, do back bends, back walk-overs, and fairly interesting Yoga positions. Because I’m not consistent in my practice of Yoga, though, my strength is shot, and I can’t hold position for very long. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/8 "2007-06-02T16:38:07Z")
I’m surprised at people who can’t get close to touching their toes. My personal measure of limberness is - can you bite your toenails? Believe it or not, I used to do that, but it’s a bit of a stretch now. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/9 "2007-06-02T16:38:58Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] I’m surprised at people who can’t get close to touching their toes. My personal measure of limberness is - can you bite your toenails? Believe it or not, I used to do that, but it’s a bit of a stretch now. [/QUOTE] I’m surprised at you, buster. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/10 "2007-06-02T16:50:26Z")
I just woke up thirty minutes ago, so I’m very inflexible at the moment. About four inches away. Towards the end of the day I’d be able to touch my toes without doing any stretching. I stretch for about half an hour every other day, and at the end of the workout, I can almost put my nose to my knees, and I can wrap my hands around the bottoms of my feet. I’ve never been very flexible, even when I was younger. I have to work hard to do what other people seem to do with ease. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/11 "2007-06-02T17:21:19Z")
I can put the palms of my hands on the floor, and I can put the soles of my feet on my cheeks, though I wouldn’t bite my toenails–eww. I can also sit on my feet with my knees together and lie completely back on the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/12 "2007-06-02T17:29:34Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] I can put the soles of my feet on my cheeks [/QUOTE] I read this and thought, “That’s not that hard.” then I realized “Ohh, _those_ cheeks” (I’m particularly dirty so I think in terms reverse of what a normal person would assume) ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/13 "2007-06-02T17:47:58Z")
[QUOTE=DianaG] Palms on the floor, elbows bent. [/QUOTE] Me too. I happened to do this at work once, and people were amazed. I didn’t think it was much. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/14 "2007-06-02T18:06:47Z")
Another 3 or 4 inches and I could rest my elbows on the floor. That’s probably on due the fact that when I was a kid, my kneecaps would pop out of joint just by doing something as simple as stubbing my toe. I learned not to squat or kneel. That means when I want to pick up something, I bend from the waist. Apparently that has kept my back muscles limber all these years. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/15 "2007-06-02T18:10:23Z")
With feet spread at shoulder width, I can touch the floor behind me. I can flat hand the floor feet together as well. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/16 "2007-06-02T18:14:05Z")
Back in my twenties, when I was studying Karate, I was to be able to put my palms on the floor with ease. Now I can get about two inches from my toes. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![BrattiAtti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@BrattiAtti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrattiAtti)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/17 "2007-06-02T18:43:08Z")
With straight legs and feet together, I can easily touch my toes. I can get my palms flat on the floor, but without prior stretching the hamstrings sting and it takes much mind-control to prevent my knees from bending. With my feet shoulder-width apart, I can easily put my palms on the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Yag\_Rannavach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/858c86/32.png) [@Yag\_Rannavach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yag_Rannavach)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/18 "2007-06-02T19:03:15Z")
10-12" away…I can get another couple inches before I’m unable to ignore the pain shooting down my calf. Roughly six months of stretching daily did nothing to improve it, so I’m going to assume it has something to do with the way my legs are structured, and that further stretching won’t do much of anything. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/19 "2007-06-02T19:10:20Z")
With my feet at shoulder width I just miss getting my palms fully on the floor. With my feet together I can get my fingertips to the floor, but not close to my palms. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486/20 "2007-06-02T19:11:09Z")
[QUOTE=Yag Rannavach] 10-12" away…I can get another couple inches before I’m unable to ignore the pain shooting down my calf. Roughly six months of stretching daily did nothing to improve it, so I’m going to assume it has something to do with the way my legs are structured, and that further stretching won’t do much of anything. [/QUOTE] That could be a short hamstring, my husband has the same problem. He will never be able to touch his toes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-limber-are-you/406486.md?page=2)