Ah, the age-old question: “Can you touch your toes?” It’s the litmus test of flexibility, or at least that’s what we’ve been led to believe. For some, it’s a casual bend forward and boom, fingers meet toes like it’s the most natural thing in the world. For others, like myself, it’s more of a “reach, strain, grunt, and… nope, still a good foot away.”
Now, before you chalk it all up to “tight hamstrings,” let me stop you right there. There’s a lot more going on than just those stubborn back-of-the-leg muscles refusing to cooperate. In fact, being unable to touch your toes is a whole-body issue, a sort of multi-factorial mystery that deserves a bit more investigation. So, put down the yoga mat for a second, and let’s dig into why my fingers and my toes are seemingly sworn enemies.
It’s Not Just the Hamstrings (Really!)
Hamstrings usually get all the blame when we talk about poor flexibility, but they’re just one player in this whole toe-touching drama. There’s a fascinating collection of issues at work here—each one as important as the next. Let’s have a quick run through:
1. Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Imagine your pelvis is a bowl of water, and it’s tilting forward, spilling all over your shoes. That’s anterior pelvic tilt. It’s a super common posture problem, especially for people who spend all day sitting (hello, office workers!). When the pelvis tilts forward, it lengthens the hamstrings and places them under tension before you even start bending forward. So, no wonder they’re complaining when you ask them to stretch even more! It also puts the lower back in a compromised position, making that reach-for-the-toes movement feel like it’s happening in slow motion—awkward and uncomfortable.
2. Calf Tightness
Did you ever think about your calves when you’re bending over to touch your toes? Tight calves can be sneaky contributors to this lack of flexibility. If your calves are stiff as a board, it changes the way your ankles move, which in turn affects your entire range of motion from the hips down. So, while you’re cursing your hamstrings, your calves are in the background, quietly keeping you from getting anywhere close to the floor.
3. Lower Back Stability Issues
Now, this is where things get serious. Your lower back’s job is to provide stability, not to bend and stretch like a contortionist. If it’s not strong enough or stable enough, your body compensates by asking nearby muscles (like the hamstrings, once again) to do more than their fair share. This creates tension and limits how far you can bend forward. It’s a classic case of “all hands on deck” when a muscle isn’t pulling its weight properly.
4. Poor Hip Mobility
Hip mobility plays a starring role in all things movement-related. If your hips can’t rotate or hinge properly, they’ll restrict how far your body can fold forward. When you bend over, your hips should do most of the heavy lifting (or heavy hinging, in this case). But if your hip mobility is poor, you’ll feel stuck, like you’re trying to fold a book that just won’t bend all the way. This can lead to tightness everywhere else, especially in the lower back and—you guessed it—the hamstrings.
5. Tight Hamstrings (Still a Thing)
Okay, I’ll admit, the hamstrings do play their part. But they’re more like the final domino to fall in this chain reaction of tightness and instability. They’re doing their best to keep up with all the other dysfunctions in the body. Tight hamstrings are often a symptom of a bigger problem rather than the cause. So, while stretching them feels good, it’s not the full solution.
Enter SFMA: The Movement Detective
So, how do you figure out which of these culprits is keeping you from that elusive toe touch? This is where the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) comes into play. It’s like having Sherlock Holmes for your body’s movement patterns.
The SFMA is a clinical assessment tool used to identify and diagnose movement dysfunction. Instead of just looking at one part of the body, it takes a whole-body approach to movement. So, when you’re doing something like trying to touch your toes, the SFMA can help spot where the breakdown is happening. Is it your hips? Your calves? Your lower back?
With a series of screens and tests, the SFMA categorises movements into patterns of dysfunction, highlighting whether the problem is mobility-based (i.e., tightness) or stability-based (i.e., weakness or poor control). Once you know where the issue lies, you can address it directly—whether it’s by improving core stability, loosening up those stiff calves, or getting your hips moving properly.
The Road to Toe-Touching Glory
So, if you’ve been failing the toe-touch test and blaming your hamstrings, it’s time to give them a bit of a break. There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than just tight muscles. With tools like the SFMA, we can pinpoint the exact cause of your toe-touching woes and start working on the right areas.
If you want to be able to touch those ever-elusive toes then get in touch today and we can get you on a road to your toes! With a little bit of patience and the right approach, you’ll be amazed what you can do.
To start your journey email on – info@thehealthhub.co.uk or book online with Sam via this link – BOOK NOW