Settle an argument - can you form a straight line from knee to toe?

[GimmeAy]

Weird title I know. Apologies.
But myself and OH were just discussing my legs. Or more specifically my foot.
I was stretching my leg/foot out (as one does) and he jumped in horror saying 'Ew, that's disgusting?' After much questioning it transpires that I can bend my foot down enough with an outstretched leg so that it's just one straight line (hard to explain).
He tried it and his ankles won't go halfway near to a straight line with his leg.
Is it men? Is it me (dancer all my youth) or can everybody but him do it and I'm not a freak?

I can! Was a dancer so can go en pointe quite easily still- shame about the roundness of stomach...!

@bubblev my 2yo done that last week and I freaked out thinking he'd broken an arm I just tried and mine are the same but I can turn them without moving my hands. I've also got very clicky shoulders that always make a pop sound when I lay on my side. Didn't know it was hyper-mobility though, interesting.

that's what they should do @gimmeay. I didn't even realise my elbows did this until I was in my 20s & a yoga teacher stopped me. Explains why I found push ups so hard & could never build bicep muscles! 🤣

I'm sure men across the country are wondering what the fuck is wrong with you? Himself is convincing himself that it's all the muscle

Yes! Dancer 🩰

I can but DH Just tried and he can’t.

@ElectricTonight yes i can turn mine back with the hands in the same position. The yogi told me to always look out for it in any movement that requires leaning on hands as apparently all the weight goes on the joint & causes stress.

@GimmeAy

Check if he can do this yoga pose!

You must 'win' this one @GimmeAy, tell him 'not flexible in body, not flexible in mind' .

I can but I've done yoga for years. Dh is about 15⁰ off but he's generally less flexible than me anyway.

It freaks him out though when I can stand and rotate my feet out 45⁰ either way but my knees and heels are still touching.

Maybe it has something to do with size of feet. Mine are 5 and DH is 11?

@tildama I can no longer do that as gut gets in the way. lockdown has not helped 😫

so dd really can't do this, although she is not far odd. But she has hypermobile wrists and elbows, and I suspect hips

So it doesn't always follow that your feet are hypermobile if you elbows are!

though he is three and can also squat with feet flat on the ground

Now this has thrown me, so can I, can’t everyone? I’m fifty one.

Tilda, unless I want to be effused with the digested remnants of today's dinner, I will not be getting him to do that pose. Anyway, he's asleep now on the sofa (how do they do that??).

I can do it but i was a gymnast in my youth but i can also twist my arms round from elbow to the flat part of the arm. That freaked out my pilates instructor

I can do it and I am the least graceful, flexible person on the planet. I’m basically a potato in leggings

@bubblev new goal - get back to being able to do it? :)

But some people can't do it even underweight!

@GimmeAy
...maybe not right now then :D

Isn’t that just pointing your toes?

My elbows do the bending back thing too. So I can place my palms flat down (fingers pointing forwards) then twist my elbows right round so that either the point (back) of my elbow faces forwards or the soft inner side faces forward. I think lots of people can do that?

Can he not stand in his tip toes to reach something then?
Like all muscles they need to be stretched or "flexed"
In gymnastics / dance warm up it's often referred to as good toes/ naughty toes.
To the PP who said her husband couldn't point his toes but was a strong swimmer - what he like with a kick board? Just doing leg kick? I bet he doesn't go fast if forward at all, sometimes people with dorsiflexed feet go backwards when using a kickboard.
It does tend to be men that loose the ability to point their toes

So it doesn't always follow that your feet are hypermobile if you elbows are

I don't disagree @steppemum & think it's probably have something to do with foot shape, joint position.

I'm pretty flexible but cannot hold my leg high & straight for any length of time directly in front of me. Side & back much easier.

@bluntness100 do they mean a squat where the bum actually touches floor?

Bluntness Most people in Asia can, most people in Europe and North America have lost the knack though lack of practice/tight achilles tendons.

Google "asian squatting", lots of articles and youtube videos about it (mostly europeans trying and failing to do it).

grasping with theory? Is it anything to do with needing to be more flexible because of childbirth (so it affects other bits of body?) & the our hip placement
& yep this ancient girl can still do this &touch toes & sit cross legged on floor
(& did do ballet when little - eons ago)

@tildama this is true.