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How Flexible Are You?
After years of dancing, my hamstring muscled are fairly stretched. If I bend over with knees straight, I can easily rest my palms flat on the floor. From what I can tell, physical flexibility is achievable for most of us, with a little determination and regular practice. It doesn’t take particular skill or genetic gifts. On the other hand, a flexible temperament eludes my grasp, no matter how much I practice. How about you?
Women practicing yoga in Hunan Province from the year in photos, 2015
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I too can rest my palms flat on the floor … have not done years of dancing but have certainly walked a great deal, some long distance walks & hill walking in the Highlands.
I think my temperament is reasonably flexible … I always expect to enjoy myself which I think allows me to slide by annoying glitches.
To “always expect to enjoy yourself” is a fabulous trait. Well done!
I have never been able to reach my toes even as a child. And no amount of daily stretching, dancing, pilates got my hamstrings any better. So flexibility remains out of my reach despite a lot of practice and determination. So yes, it does take genetic gifts. I am eternally grateful for meeting a couple of physical therapists who recognized that. Instead of implying that I just wasn’t trying hard enough, they helped me find ways to work and enjoy achievement within my limits, and not overstress my body by pushing for what “everyone” “should” be able to do.
MD, I hope I didn’t sound glib. My hamstrings were initially so tight, and I’ve been able to see improvement. (Not anywhere as much as the seasoned ballet dancers around me.) But I understand your story is different. I’m glad you were able to connect with talented physical therapists.
I don’t think you sounded glib – and admittedly I am clearly an unusual outlier. With the right kind of training I have seen big gains in my general fitness and in flexibility of some of the muscles – it just turns out that for a small number of people, genetics and anatomy combine in exactly the wrong way. I now judge physical therapists this way – if they start harping on my hamstrings, or insisting that I try yet again, I move on. Because, if nothing else, prescribing exercises that had failed multiple times in the past is not a winning strategy. It does not matter if the problem is with my genetics or with the way I’m doing it, it just does not pay to keep repeating failure. But it took me a very long time to come to accept this and be willing to assert myself.
It sounds like the experience, even if frustrating, has given you a lot of knowledge of what works best for you.
MD, My body is similar to your’s. Stretching has helped but I don’t think I’ll ever put my hands on the floor. Several people in my extended family have similar genetics so we trade stories about it. A very good yoga teacher has helped a lot with accepting my limits.
My ballet teacher (who you know, Jules) starts every morning stretching by sitting on the floor with his legs straight in front of him, and bending over, touching his chest to his thighs. I watch him in amazement. When I’m fully warmed up, I could never do that.