QUESTION OF THE DAY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

[neely]

I'm a big believer in trying to stay active and exercise. Part of that comes from my parents who always took us on long walks, ice skating in winter and tennis in summer. I realize some people have mobility issues and can not partake in a lot of physical activity. Plus as we age our joints, ligaments and tendons seem to suffer. Everyone's idea of flexibility is different and I don't mean cartwheels, handstands or leaps. Simple stretching exercises can help keep us flexible and there are chair exercises too, even chair yoga.

SO FOR TODAY'S QUESTION: ARE YOU FLEXIBLE? WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF FLEXIBILITY?

 

[NY cat man]

Not any more. Age and arthritis have put a serious limit on my flexibility.

 

[maggiedemi]

I guess I'm flexible. I'm 45, but I can still bend, stretch, squat no problems. I can get my heart rate up while walking for 2 hours or exercising for an hour, and be fine. I just can't run, I get out of breath immediately & feel like I'm dying. I would rather just walk fast.

 

[Katie M]

I'm flexible in the wrong way. My ligaments are congenitally bad, so I can dislocate my hips and shoulders and put them back with no trouble. Unfortunately, my kneecaps dislocate on their own, which has caused me a lot of pain. I also have bad ligaments in the soles of my feet, which causes them to flatten when I'm standing.

 

[susanm9006]

Hard question. I think I am but don’t really have a comparison. I use a rowing machine every other day for strength but do stretching exercises afterwards for flexibility and balance. I can still get up and down from the floor, reach and bend for what I need etc.

 

[game misconduct]

i guess i am flexible enough since i stretch my stroke affected side daily but my muscle strength. is more important to me than flexibility. i suffer mobility issues myself. i would rather have the power to drag/ get myself up if/ when i take a fall and suffer an injury. so i try to keep myself in shape. i dont plan to be stuck laying there until my gf gets home to find me on the ground unable to get back up.

 

[Lari]

I can touch my toes, but I did gymnastics (badly) as a teen, so I tend to consider flexibility like being able to do the splits. In which case, I'm not flexible!

 

[Elphaba09]

My flexibility actually comes from one of my medical conditions, making me technically flexible. I can bend at the waist and put my hands flat on the floor, and all of my joints hyperextend. (Odd fact: I can touch my pointer finger to my pinky finger, making a sort of triangle over my middle and ring finger.) I can do modified yoga that accommodates my disability.

Like game misconduct , I try to focus on my strength more than my flexibility out of a desire not to get stuck on the ground if/when I fall. My arms and my right leg are surprisingly strong. I still get stuck sometimes because my left leg does not do anything want it to, and I put myself into precarious situations. For example, I can climb up a ladder by pulling myself up and using just my right leg. The issue is getting down. (Trust me, pulling one's self up is much easier than climbing down when one cannot, in fact, climb.) I know it, but I still do it! I had to promise my husband I would not do it when he is not home now that it is just us at the house.

 

[gilmargl]

I can touch my toes, but I did gymnastics (badly) as a teen, so I tend to consider flexibility like being able to do the splits. In which case, I'm not flexible!

Good for you! Even as a child, I couldn't even touch my toes, let alone do the splits!

It's difficult to judge your own condition. Before COVID-19 limitations, I was doing aqua-jogging and attended a local fitness centre. According to the digital analysis of my performance, my biological age was at least 20 years younger than my actual age. I imagine this was based entirely on strength.

As far as flexibility is concerned, I was slowly losing the ability to reach my right foot. Cutting toenails was becoming a chore. I thought it was a back problem, so joined a class to learn some exercises to strengthen my back. The physiotherapist running the class soon realised that my problem was my hip. I had a hip replacement nearly 2 years ago and no longer have problems reaching my feet. (I still can't touch my toes with straight legs - though I am no worse at it than I was over 70 years ago!)

I have played a lot of squash and tennis (leaping forward and throwing too much weight onto my hip) but, apart from that one spare part, I have nothing to complain about. I think I must have a few good genes somewhere. I'm definitely not a fitness addict though I do enjoy "movement" of any kind, so long as its not connected to work (housework or gardening) or a need to win or do well.

So, I believe I'm perhaps as flexible as I need to be. I can't do the splits, my shoulders are rather stiff (but a few months of aqua-fitness may improve that. Can't wait for indoor swimming pools to reopen.

 

[verna davies]

I think I'm flexible for an old girl. I do a lot of gardening and diy, both involve a lot of bending and stretching. I also walk to the local library about 2 miles away, great going there because it's all downhill, coming back is a good workout.

 

[TMcats]

I'm very flexible cause I do ballet so I kinda have to be flexible.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Flexibility was the one thing I was good at in gym class. I could always do splits and things as a kid.

I'm flexible everywhere but my hips now. I suspect it's a childbirth/alignment issue becuase it started then. When I was having foot pain the physical therapist had me doing exercises for my feet and legs and I still do a lot of that. I've always been nervous to try a chiropractor but it sounds like they might be able to help if I go see one.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I can bend at the waist and put my hands flat on the floor, and all of my joints hyperextend. (Odd fact: I can touch my pointer finger to my pinky finger, making a sort of triangle over my middle and ring finger.) I can do modified yoga that accommodates my disability.

I just checked; on the first try i can get my fingers (not just the tips) to the floor. If I lose my stomach it would probably let me go farther. And I can almost get my pointer to my pinky finger. There's maybe a couple milimeters between them. I've never tried that one.

DD often stands with her feet pointing different directions (inward) and it freaked a few of my friends out. I've always been able to do that. I did take dance lessons as a kid so I just attributed it to that. I asked DD's pediatrician because a friend mentioned it can be a problem; but she said she's got normal flexibility. She does have some funky shaped elbows though. She got that from DH. They are almost triangular in shape. DH said someone called his a double elbow. I'm still not sure that's a thing.

(oh now I got my fingers touching. It's definitely easier on my right hand than my left.)

 

[NY cat man]

Touching your pointer and pinkie together? That's easy; all you need is to have hands like mine- and yes, those are scars.

 

[Beholder]

Yup, I've been doubled jointed my whole life (AKA hypermobility) so I can do a lot of things without trying that most people can't. For example, without stretching: I can lick my elbow in two different ways, I can bend my pinky back so far it touches my hand, and can lay both palms flat on the floor while standing and keeping my legs locked, I can touch my foot to my head, and I can also do that creepy handcuff trick where you basically pop your shoulders out of place to get the handcuffs from behind you to the front by going over your head. A couple of these things have been pretty cool party tricks, but I've been most appreciative of it in times where I should have broken/sprained/dislocated something but my hypermobility came to the rescue. When I do stretch before doing any of these things I can usually go a lot further (like wrists on the floor with legs locked).

EDIT:

I can also pop my thumb out of place (which is actually rather common) and bend my middle finger like this...if I bend it hard enough I can get the tip perpendicular but it's really hard to take a photo of it.

 

[aliceneko]

I'm disabled, so I'm not very flexible at all.

 

[Jem]

Wow! I didn't realize so many have a form of Hypermobility Syndrome!
I'm "flexible", but I also have hypermobility. So my joints are very unstable due to weak and lax ligaments and tendons, but unfortunately in many areas my muscles have compensated and have become fibrous and tight and I have many areas with adhesions. Stretching is actually bad for me because all I'm doing is over stretching my already lax ligaments rather than the muscles, so I'm supposed to do specific exercises to help promote better muscle function and support....I have to start that up again... because my body is a hurtin' unit right now...

 

[cassiopea]

I'm a ballerina - So I can confidently say that I'm pretty bendy! Back bends, middle splits, front splits, various movements like Grande battements and Jetés etc Not to mention actually needing the significant amount of strength required, such as holding a développé. So tons and tons of cross-training happens behind the scenes, alongside technique training that takes years to master. Elite athletes, yo!

*Yay my time to shine*

So I guess my overall idea of flexible is anyone who can do the splits, or have a decent amount of range. I teach ballet/dance classes (and I also took a Pilates class) and some can do some beautiful splits. While many of the others who can't reach the splits yet but have lovely turned out 90 degree angles or slightly more when doing leg/stretching exercises with the correct technique and hard work.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I am very flexible. I've gone to physical therapists for various reasons and they would stretch some muscles of mine for me and then ask if I felt any stretch and I rarely did. I've always been obese and I've also always been able to touch my toes or fan my legs out and lay forward. My sister is the same way and she has had a lot of back issues because of it, especially after having kids.

 

[BellaGooch]

I am only “flexible” in the sense that I can bend my legs in ways that most people would find uncomfortable since I’m severely pigeon toed and my hips are turned out. I can sit in a “W” position fairly comfortably and can turn my feet all the way in. Other than that I am not flexible at all.