September 26, 2007
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Touching Toes
According to a recent poll, 53% of people in the UK cannot touch their toes. Here is the link: Link
Without bending your knees, can you touch your toes?
According to a recent poll, 53% of people in the UK cannot touch their toes. Here is the link: Link
Without bending your knees, can you touch your toes?
Comments (177)
Yes, but I have to exercise regularly to keep it that way!
Funny, my eprops registered but my comment didn’t.
Sad day.
I can easily. Poor, poor extremely fat people. The toes are a grand body part to touch…
yes
Goddamn fatties, man.
Of course, I can’t talk. I’m one of those guys who burns off all his fat just sitting around and eating taco bell.
It’s the universe’s way of making me into a gloating sadist, I think.
For the record, it was: yes, I can.
I can hold my feet in my palms without bending my knees.
But then again, i’m 4’10″.
yep!
yes, I can.
That picture of the sweaty fat ass woman is freaking me the fuck out.
I haven’t had the need to…so I couldn’t tell you.
thankfully I can, but only because I’ve lost 20 lbs.
Yes
yes easily
and that’s with a knee injury
and i intend to be able to say that until i die
Yes.
Yes, but it’s a stretch.
I’d like to attribute that to my inflexibility-
-and not any flub there may be on my stomach.
=)
Nope and i’m a dancer.
yup.
Yes, I can, however I have long arms. I mean, I also have long legs, but yeah, I can definitely touch my toes, even put my palms on the floor LOL.
usually i can put my hands flat on the floor and even bend my elbows a bit, but i’ve tightened up some so i’m sore but can still do it.
Yes. Perhaps it’s batter fried cod, deep fried chips, and Guiness that’s the problem…
Haha! I second CallMeQuell–I’m five feet even–I can palm the floor.
nope, never could
Almost.. There.. I can.. DO IT! OHCOMEON!
I was always the only one in ballet class that couldn’t.. they laughed at me..
And thanks for the comment!
Yep! Too bad I don’t live in the UK.
Oddly enough, I can.
Yeah, and all I do is jump rope and hula hoop once or twice a week. And my metabolism isn’t that great.
No. I’m thin and in shape, but my hamstrings are tighter than piano wires.
My only comfort is that I have something in common with most Brits.
nah I cannot, or at least last time I checked i couldnt
but im just horribly unflexable
Not even close. I should go move to the U.K.
Absolutely!
yes
Even as a super-flexible child I couldn’t do it. I have short arms. I suppose that’s my lot in life…
Yup.
Yup. Isn’t this more information then you really need?
no
uh-huh
that’s the oddest question I’ve ever seen. And yes I can gently caress my toes without bending my knees. haha But I’m 5 foot so maybe that makes a difference.
It depends on how I try and touch my toes. If I’m standing and bending down I cannot do it. However, if I’m sitting on the floor stretching out I can. (I’m also built kinda weird. I have little to no torso and long legs.
)
RYC: In my paper I took the approach that you mentioned. Preachers definitely have to change their methods to reach their audience. I believe the failure to do this is one of the many reasons people do not go to church. What is the purpose in going if you are not going to get anything out of it? That may sound selfish or have wrong motives, but isn’t it true?
Can you lick your elbow?
yup – I love how it stretches the back of my legs.
that is quite a disturbing photo, and yes
Yesss I can.
Yay ballet!
ha no i just am not very flexable
Pretty easily. At least I still have some flexibility!
I can not only touch my toes, I can also put my palms entirely on the ground. I think its a flexibility issue b/c I think only about half the people on my high school cross country team (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) were able to- but we were all young and in shape.
yessir=]
Yes I can. =)
I can touch my toes. Usually I do more than touch, I scratch. Dang this athlete’s foot!
Yes, with a little struggle…
Yes, but there’s always some chick in my way.
I’m doing better on the sit-up part.
I still can although I used to be able to get my palms all the way down. I lost flexibility in a major car accident.
pssssssh.
barely xD
Yes!
I am very very flexible from dance
i can put my fingers over to the back of my feet
Yes, but it’s a stretch.
wah-wah-wahhhh….
I can touch my toes without bending my knees.
I can also run a marathon. That puts me with the other “less than one percent” of people in the world.
Yes i can.
And after reading that article I never want to hear another Brit say that America is full of fatties. Clean the McDonalds out of your own backyard please.
Yup
Yes. It’s a stretch though. I’d have to say the same as
mAnGLeDmiSTlEtoE …
I’m pretty skinny, but not very flexible at all anymore (When I was little, I wasn’t a super-flexible skinny little kid, but I came pretty close).
Yepper
yes, but not easily.
And after reading that article I never want to hear another Brit say that America is full of fatties. Clean the McDonalds out of your own backyard please. ~ erykp
I agree, erykp. It seems like people from European countries are always mocking Americans. IF this study is accurate then they can put a sock in it!
I have never been able to touch my toes, even as a child. My muscles are just not flexible. I’m not overweight by any means, so it’s not that reason either.
anyday maeyun.
yes i can
but i work at it …
YOGA!!!
Dan, I love the caption you put when you place your cursor over that picture.
And yes, I’ve always been able to touch my toes.
When I’m finished reading blogs on my laptop and programming my new universal remotes, I might get out of my recliner and see. Or I might recline all the way back and take a nap. Tough choice.
Yes, I can easily.. I have grown up as a gymnastic. Even tho it’s been ages since I try that til now.. I’m proud to say, yep, I still can!!
RYC: Yea, I know that’s why after that conversation I never talked to that guy again.. I keep finding more losers when I go look but when I don’t look. They come find me.. Sucks to be me.. lol
No, but I’m not fat. I’m just very inflexible. The better question is “Can you see your toes?”
Wow – I can but it stretches muscles in my back that I am afraid of hurting, But yes !
Almost, but now I can’t stand upright. Thanks Dan!
I wonder what the US statistic is? It took me about 10 seconds to stretch myself but I got down there.
Yes, I can, but I try not to do it near any hard surfaces.
I can get my hands flat on the floor! plus some!!
I can touch the floor with my palms… without bending my knees.
that’s an extremely nasty picture.
but yes, i can
yup, I can, just checked
Yup.
Even though I am a soft and ample middle aged woman, I can do that. Can YOU, Dan?
I most certainly can.
Without bending my knees? isnt that discriminatory towards infelxable and short people who have less leg and body width to sling over in half to reach their feet
or – i could just be fat.. lol
Daniel (doubledb)
Yep. I’d be pretty sad if I couldn’t.
yes i can! hurray!
Yes, I thought everyone could.
Yes
I think a better question would be can anyone do the 20 sit-ups.
I used to. Then I went to college.
Does that count?
Yes I can touch my toes with out bending my knees. That shouldn’t be a challenge for most people at least I thought so until now.
yes, i’m a dancer =]
yep
nope. i’m not flexible at all.
Yup. I can also do it while balanced on one leg.
maybe if I build up momentum
Nope.
I can’t…I am really thin, but just not at all flexible. I need to stretch more, probably…
No :/
I just stood up here at work.. and tried. And THANKFULLY.. I can.
Enough of the fatty comments about the English. Have you BEEN to the US recently?!
Either there are a lot of liars commenting this topic, or most people who read Dan’s site is incredibly flexible. Hm. >
Nope.
And all the phys ed teachers think it’s just me getting old and inflexible, and intensive training will fix that. They don’t seem to understand me when I say I could NEVER touch my toes. Not even during fun run around touch your toes whatever time in preschool. Never ever ever.
yeppers
& also: what does that picture have to do with touching your toes / flexibility?
Sure, lots of fat makes touching your toes difficult but skinny does not equal flexible hamstrings.
Either there are a lot of liars commenting this topic, or most people who read Dan’s site is incredibly flexible. Hm. >
Not only are they flexible; they’ve all read at least forty books this year and none of them owns a gun [and they're PROUD of it!]
Yup.
No. I can’t. Being 6’2″ is real disadvantage when it comes to touching toes
Yes I can with ease.
Yes.
The British aren’t that flexible, are they.
most definitely. i wonder if it’s only fat people who can’t. i’m sure there are flexible fat people.
yep, even overweight and out of shape I stay extremely flexible…
I can. It has nothing to do with being fat. It is about being limber and flexibility,.
yepp, i can.
Yeah. I can actually touch the ground with the palm of my hand. In 2 inch charactor shoes.
Definitely, I can actually palm the ground, and I’m not really flexible.
yes. not for a large amount of time, but yes. And I am one of them so-called “fatties” so FUCK YOU!
yes i can. But it hurts.
RYC: Â That’s awesome! Â They’re a great band. Â :)
Yes, I can touch my toes, but just barely. Â JUST barely.
yup yup.
Yes.
yep
Yes.
It depends on the day, or sometimes just the time of day. So I’m a yes, but just barely.
Yes, but to be honest, I have the shortest legs ever.
Thanks for commenting, but I must disagree with you. If (and I stress the “if”) she is “supporting our troops” I certainly couldn’t see it. It appeared to me that she’s simply trying to “romanticize” the idea of dating or being married to a soldier, because come on, we all know that most girls like the idea of a man in a uniform. She herself said she has a crush on our soldiers! Now she makes this video? Her motives are clear to me. Coming from someone who is going to marry a soldier that has already served in Iraq once, and probably will again soon, let me be the first to tell everyone that its not romantic or fun just because he’s in a uniform.
And just to answer your post question, yes, I can touch my toes. Though its not done without some stretching because I’m not very flexible.
~Brittany
yeah.
i can touch the ground with my finger … pads? you know? the pad of your fingertip? and i have long legs. and don’t exercise as often as i should … : i should exercise more.
Yes, but not because I am particularly fit. My legs are just short.
Yes. O_o I suddenly feel powerful now, too.
Yup, and then some.
How many readers stood up and tried before answering? haha
My legs are short too, I guess that’s it – 50% of UK people have long legs.
Yes.
yep
I’m naturally flexible so yes
I can do better than that – I can put my forehead on my knees.
no, and i’m skinny
Yes.
Yes…and usually I can touch my hands on the floor, palms down.
Kudos to the fat lady for taking initiative and exercising!
And yes, I can now touch my own toes.
For the record, a lot of thin people can’t touch their toes either because, although they are skinny, they’re out of shape.
yup. I always could for the most part. If I am working out regularly I can almost put my hand flat onthe floor.
No problem!
Yes, barely. It takes stretching of the back and the legs to do it. I’ll pay for that tomorrow.
The vibe I’m getting from a lot of the responses is that a lot of people feel they’re either overweight or don’t work out enough [or both.]
I’d be curious to find out what percentage of your myriad-book-reading, non-gun-toting subscribers either feel they’re overweight or don’t work out enough and why they think that.
Yes, i can touch my toes. And have a closer view of my thunder thighs as well when i do that. Ah.
i can’t, im about a foot away. something about my hips, like i could stretch for years and never do it. i am just not able to do so. on the other hand im a fast runner and can squat with my feet together and heels on the ground, not many ppl can do that.
can you?
umm yes its really scary when people can’t
I can surpass my toes and touch the floor.
yeah, and beyond that. im almost sickishly flexible *legs go behind head*
yeah
I can palm the floor
standing or sitting?
I’m fat and old, but I can still easily touch my toes and can often palm the floor after stretching out, but I find it funny that my very fit college age nephews can’t touch their toes. It’s just their body shape of long legs with normal sized arms. But, it hasn’t stopped them from holding all the Lightweight men’s world records (between the 2 of them) for all of the Highland Games (Heavy Athletics) events like Hammer throws, weight over bar, sheaf, weight for height, weight for distance, etc. So, that type of flexibility is only so important.
I certainly can’t run a marathon like one of the commentors above who can’t touch their toes.
And, yes, before I answered I had to get up and make sure I could still touch ‘em! Ha!!
Yes I can.
I can do the splits.
Oh, touch my toes? Yeah, I can.
> yeppers,
Peace
Heck yes. It’s easy. I can put my palms flat on the floor. :]
haha I’m a dancer… I can put my chin on my knees with very little effort…
It’s not always about being fat though. My brother is a little stick, but he can’t do it. He’s just not flexible enough. A lot of guys aren’t.
yep! no problem haha then again, I’m SHORT sooo short legs? haha
Yep. Didn’t know I could so it nearly freaked me out at the same time.
I’ve never been able to except for when my life was measured in months, as far as I know. Even when I did the stretch every day and in high school some, nothing. However, my issue has never been that of the woman in the photo.
Yes, I still can, but its getting alittle harder
isnt the US obesity rate higher then that?
With your help, Dan
Proud to be one of the 47% in the UK who can touch their toes =D
Yes I can.
these days it hurts cuz i dont have the time to exercise properly and stretch… but i can do it =D
i used to be able to bend over so far i could literally see my butt by putting my head between my legs… (nice picture eh?)
but uhm… i thought it was the americans that are fat… not the uk-ans????
yep. most of the time
I can lay my hands flat on the ground .
Yes… but it is not always a fat thing – it is almost difficult for me, and I’m in good shape – 5’8 and 150 lbs.
More a flexibility thing sometimes…
Yep… Everyone can. It isn’t specified what you USE to touch your toes so you could use your right foot and touch your left foot and that’s touching your toes.
yes, i can…and i could 70 lbs ago too. i think i’m just genetically prone to flexibility.
Palms to the floor baby!!
Not currently.
hey….how’d you get that picture of me at the gym?????
I can but that’s where it ends. I happen to have the flexibility of a two by four.
Yep.
Of course!
no, but my hamstrings are not flexible.
Barely.