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What Muscles?

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barry1010 | 09:57 Wed 26th May 2021 | Body & Soul
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I can touch my toes when I am standing up. When I am sat on the floor with my feet against the wall, toes pointing upwards, I cannot bend at all from the waist.
What muscles cause this?
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I think tightening the tendons in the back of the legs will restrict forward bending. If you turn your toes up it will pull on the tendons.
My theory.
I've just tried both, the only thing I can see really, is that when you are sitting on the floor, your lower half is stationary, and you are fully relying on the top half to move. When you are standing, you can also use your hips and leg muscles to stretch more.
Maybe it's flexibility more than just muscles? Your hips are more flexible than your back?
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Good thought, dave. So using those tendons to pull my feet up is pulling the tendons the opposite way that is needed for bending forward.
That could be it.
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As I said, Pixie, if I am sitting with feet facing forward I have no problem bending enough to hold my feet. It was when my feet are pointing up that my back seems to lock.
If you start off with them pointing forwards, hold them, and then start to flex them upwards, where can you feel it?
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I can't move them at all in that position, they refuse to move.
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I shall give at a good go this afternoon, pixie. Good idea to try and identify where any discomfort occurs.
I can feel it in the back of my calves and knees, if that helps. (My dogs think I'm nuts).
Good luck x would be interested to see.
I think davebro has solved the riddle, as the same thing happened to me when I tried it - knees and back of legs tightened up.
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I could barely move my feet up an inch but it made my calves scream.
Well done... x
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Looks like I have to do calf stretches. We got there in the end. I'll let you know if there is any improvement in a few months.
Barry I think you got there at 11.45 :-)
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:) I do rely on this site - rarely lets me down

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