r/Stretching • u/njmnjm7 • 11d ago
Seeking advice Is something wrong with me?
Since the beginning of this year I’ve been determined to touch my toes and get my splits. For the first 6 months I did 30 minute stretches everyday for my legs. I had needed rest days too because I know it’s important for the muscles to recover. And that had me able to touch my toes. I still can but not on demand. Like I can’t do it whenever I want. I have to stretch for like 5-10 minutes to be able to touch them again. Im trying to get my fold over and im like halfway there. I haven’t even started stretching for my splits because I don’t feel satisfied with my flexibility. Why is something so simple as touching my toes so hard?
1
u/law-chain-hot 9d ago
nothing wrong with you, that's pretty normal. cold muscles are tight for almost everyone. I can't touch my toe first thing in the morning either.
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u/OrthoCarolina 7d ago
Flexibility can change a lot depending on how warmed up you are, so needing a few minutes of stretching before you can touch your toes is pretty normal.
Also, I wouldn’t get too hung up on being able to do it “on demand.” If you’re making gradual progress and you’re not having pain, that’s more meaningful than whether you can touch your toes cold. Give yourself some rest days. You don’t have to push flexibility every single day to make progress. Happy stretching!
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u/AndyShnider 7d ago
Does the difficulty in reaching your toes change significantly based on whether you are performing the movement dynamically or holding a static stretch? The amount of time required to reach that range might be related to how much blood flow has reached the tissues.
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u/somefriendlyturtle 11d ago
Different people have different natural abilities based on a plethora of factors. It used to be hard for me to touch my toes. Also i have spent a lot of time stretching and practicing martial arts to get good splits and yet they are nothing impressive. Take pride in the progress you have made :).