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Why does the ability to touch your toes matter? Experts weigh in.
As we grow older, maintaining flexibility becomes increasingly important. Not only does it support the health of your muscles and joints, but it also enhances your overall mobility, reduces injury risk, and helps you maintain an active, self-reliant lifestyle. Good flexibility allows you to reach objects on high shelves, easily get in and out of vehicles, and comfortably bend down to tie your shoes.
But how can you accurately assess your flexibility? A simple test can help: if you’re over 60 and can touch your toes, your flexibility is likely above average compared to your peers.
“Touching your toes is fundamental,” says Brandt Passalacqua, C-IAYT, director of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy. “It involves the coordinated effort of the fascia running from your feet to your head, as well as the muscles in your feet, calves, hamstrings, and back. It also requires hip hinge ability. Without adequate range of motion in these areas, we begin to compensate, increasing the likelihood of injury.”
“Touching your toes is a basic necessity. The fascia from the feet to the head, as well as the muscles of the feet, calves, hamstrings, and back, all need to work in tandem. In addition, it requires the ability to hinge at the hips. The more these areas lack range of motion and length, the more we compensate when we move, and that’s how injury happens,” explains Brandt Passalacqua, C-IAYT, director of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy.
Why Being Able To Touch Your Toes Matters
Being able to touch your toes after age 60 goes beyond testing your flexibility. According to Denise Chakoian, Rhode Island certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree, it’s an inside look into how your entire body is functioning.
“When you reach for the floor, your entire posterior chain—hamstrings, lower back, glutes, and calves—has to work together simultaneously,” Chakoian explains. “That’s the same chain you rely on every time you pick something up, get in and out of a car, or catch yourself from a fall. If it’s locked up in a gym test, it’s locked up in real life, too.”
Working The Posterior Chain
Falls are the leading cause of injury after 60, and a stiff posterior chain can increase that risk. Flexibility plays a key role in reaction time; while you may not think about it on the regular, your body relies on it when it’s needed most.
“There’s also a brain component: flexibility requires your nervous system to trust a movement, not just the muscle being long enough,” Chakoian adds. “Staying flexible means keeping that communication between your brain and body open as you age. You can fake your way through a lot of fitness tests. This one you can’t.”
Keeping Your Posterior Chain Mobile
Your muscles, joints, and connective tissues play a key role in climbing stairs, walking, getting up from the floor, and recovering after a stumble.
“When they stop moving well together, the body starts compensating—and compensation is how injuries happen,” Chakoian tells us. “Keeping this chain mobile isn’t about fitness performance. It’s about keeping your body honest and reducing the hidden wear that builds up over decades.”
Form Cues for Reaching Toward Your Toes
When performing the toe touch, Chakoian recommends starting from a seated forward fold position—reaching toward your toes while sitting on a chair or the ground.
“This gives you all the same stretch with none of the balance risk. Master this before you ever stand up and fold forward,” she stresses.
In addition, hinge from your hips—not your waist. It may be common to automatically round your lower back—but refrain.
“Think about pushing your hips back as you fold forward, like you’re closing a car door with your backside. That shifts the work where it belongs—into the hamstrings—and protects your spine. Soft knees are fine. A slight bend in the knees is not cheating. It actually allows the pelvis to tilt properly and takes compressive force off the lower back,” Chakoian points out.
Make sure to breathe into each stretch. Every time you exhale is a solid chance to release a bit further. Allow your breathing to do the work.
Red Flags To Look Out For
In addition to performing the exercise with proper form, there are certain red flags to be mindful of. If you notice the following, stop immediately: sharp pain or any sensation that runs down your leg, or dizziness.
“Mild pulling and discomfort is normal. Pain is information—and it’s telling you to back off,” Chakoian says.