Standing Alternating Toe Touches. in journalism from the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, a personal trainer certification from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), and a CPR certification from the American Red Cross. EXHALE, bend the left knee, round the spine, sweep the arms forward, and extend the right leg straight ahead. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. A few variations of the toe touches allow you to pick the exercise ⦠4. Do not lock your knees. All the weight should be on your left leg. Reach down and try to touch your toes. Note how far you go. Depending on the variation, they can also offer an effective workout for your obliques. All rights reserved. Stand upright and place feet wide apart. Increase the challenge by seeing how high above your hips you can lift your legs while maintaining slow and even control. Start sitting straight up tall with band stretched out. Bring leg back to start. Stretch the leg out away from your body, opening up the hips. 5 Reasons to Avoid the Standing Toe Touch. Lie flat on your back, legs together and straight up in the air. If you decide to increase the intensity of these exercises with the addition of hand or ankle weights, start with the lightest weight available and slow your movements until you get used to moving with the extra weight. Standing yoga poses are considered best for balance improvement and posture correction apart from other pose-specific anatomical and therapeutic benefits.Some of them are beneficial in strengthening Achilles tendon, hip flexor and hamstrings. It's OK to let your back round up a little bit, because trying to keep it perfectly straight can strain your lower back in this variation. When you feel a comfortable stretch, hold there. Simply begin from a standing position. Always march in place for a few moments or stretch very slowly before your workout to warm up your muscles and get your blood flowing. Our model, Dayzondra Gonzalez, is wearing Lululemon Fast & Free Bra (lululemon.com, $68) and Okiino Azul Scales Leggings (okiino.com, $118). © 2021 Condé Nast. Although the toe touch cross-over exercise can be useful, there are risks for injury involved. Pull your navel in toward your spine as you inhale. Except the reality is that, while some people are definitely naturally more flexible than others, if we all just took a few minutes each day to do some stretching, we’d notice improvements. 1. Exercise Library; Toe Touch Progression; Toe Touch Progression. Toe-touch crunches are a core exercise that targets the rectus abdominis and obliques. This is a more functional variation ⦠Bend forward at the waist, and reach your hands down toward your toes. Step 3: Reach across your body and touch your toes. Cross your left foot over your right quad, and bend your right knee. Wrap a resistance band around one foot and hold onto it firmly. The exercise may also be known as Kick Crunches or Opposite Foot to Opposite Hand Crunch. Unlock your knee on the right side and go on the ball of your foot. Like, being flexible would be nice, but sigh, it’s just a pipe dream. Make sure that your toes are pointing forward rather than turned in or out, and align your knees over your big toes. Others who do a good job of being active don’t take the time to focus on flexibility and mobility. Before you bend over and touch your toes, look at why you might want to try a new stretch this time. standing toe touch is a stretching exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings and to a lesser degree also targets the calves and glutes. Sit back straight in a controlled motion while continuing to hold onto, and stretch, the band. CLICK HERE to jump straight to the 101 stretches, or read further to learn more about stretching and exercise in general.. If you canât reach your toe, reach for your knee or shin, whatever you can reach safely. Sit in a pike position, with legs out straight in front of you, feet touching if you can. Bend forward from the waist and let your arms fall straight down from your shoulders. Let leg fall as close to the ground as possible while still controlling it with the band. Do not bend to reach your toes. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Lie on an exercise mat, with your back flat, knees bent and your feet flat on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Breathe in and then slowly exhale as you bend from the hips and reach down for your toes. Starting Position: Standing; Set-Up: Stand with feet together and the balls of your feet up on the half foam roll with the round side up. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds to a minute. An avid runner and occasional weight-lifter, she fell in love with fitness while writing TV Animation in Los Angeles. This compound bodyweight ab exercise helps to build the stronger link between upper and lower body. How to do Alternating Toe Touch: Step 1: Lay down on your back with your arms straight above your head. Come back to stand and repeat on the opposite side. Stand with your feet a few inches apart, knees and toes aligned and facing straight forward. Wrap a resistance band around one foot and hold onto it firmly. Bring leg back to start. Keeping your back flat, lean down as far as you can, trying to touch your toes. If you’re really tight, Salvetti suggests doing a handful of these stretches every single day at whatever time of day is easiest for you to remember. If you can't quite get your leg up to hip height, that's okay. Slowly bend forward, aiming towards your left toes. Pay attention to your breathing, making sure to inhale before each movement and exhale during the movement. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Step 1:Lay on the floor resting on your back. Salvetti says this exercise trains your body to send your weight back toward your butt (because your feet are imbalanced) and properly hinge forward so that you can successfully touch your toes. The test requires no equipment. Hold the back of your right leg and gently pull it toward your chest. This drill promotes sensory awareness for proper hip hinging and squatting. Keep your legs straight without locking your knees, and keep your back as straight as you can. Take your bicycle crunches up a notch by standing, focusing on the rotation for the most oomph. Exhale as you reach straight up towards your toes. Youâll need a chair or a counter. “Their hamstrings and hip flexors are super tight from sitting all day,” she says. 3. Angela Salvetti, NSCA-certified personal trainer and area fitness manager at New York Sports Clubs for East Manhattan, tells SELF that almost everyone that comes into her gym is tight. Do not simply round over to touch the ground. If you ever feel a pinching sensation or discomfort, come out of the stretch and try going back into it again slowly, Salvetti says. Stand with your feet slightly less than shoulder width apart. Bring your right arm and left leg back down. Roll your shoulders down and away from your ears. There are numerous other benefits to being flexible besides just increasing your strength potential. “Consistency is really key,” especially if your goal is to touch your toes, she says. The toe touch works your abdominal muscles through spinal flexion, which is bending your spine forward as you reach to touch your toes. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Hold your arms straight out from your sides at shoulder height. Inhale as you return to your starting position, keeping your belly button pulled in toward your spine. Having exercise routines readily available will help give you a jump start towards better health. Stop looking for dynamic stretching exercises in Google. Then, reverse your stance so your heels are on the books and your toes are on the ground. Place feet flat on the floor and now bend down and try to touch your toes. Reach both hands to the extended leg, attempting to touch your toes. Lateral toe touches have a similar effect and can help you eventually touch your toes using the regular standing method. Reach down and try to touch your toes 10 times. Flexibility helps prevent injury, relieves pain, and promotes good posture. Return to your starting position. Keep your spine long and avoid hunching over. It also aids in developing a mind muscle connection. “People say it hurts or it’s boring or if they go for a run right before work, for example, they’re just trying to get something in and that time crunch is there,” she explains. This variation works your obliques, which are the muscles at the sides of and slightly behind your waist. Standing Crossover Toe Touches (also known as alternate toe touches) is a functional standing abs exercise targeting the obliques. “Sometimes that helps it feel better. âThe standing rotational chop is an incredible full body exercise that emphasizes torso rotation, which aids in hip and lumbar stability,â says Cardiello. 2. Learning proper standing toe touch form is easy with the step by step standing toe touch instructions, standing toe touch tips, and the instructional standing toe touch technique video on this page. Exercise helps build stability and flexibility in the hips waist and let arms. 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