Blog
Why ‘I can’t touch my toes’ doesn’t mean you are inflexible
All yoga teachers will have heard the refrain ‘I’m so stiff, I can’t touch my toes!’ often paradoxically given as an excuse not to venture into the yoga studio in the first place. But an inability to bend down and reach your feet is only testing one main muscle group;...
A balance a day keeps the shin splints away
Unless you’re a seasoned barefoot runner, your feet are probably cushioned in shoes for most of the day. Unchallenged, the muscles of your feet and ankles can become weak and vulnerable both to acute injuries, such as twisted ankles, but also classic running overuse...
Why are women more flexible than men?
Firstly, women are generally more flexible than men, particularly in the hips and hamstrings. I have male students that buck this trend and can drop their forearms to the floor in a low lunge, job done. But ask most men to sit cross-legged and the discomfort is...
How to up the mileage but reduce the backache
The spine, like the rest of our bodies, is designed to move in various planes of motion: flexion, extension, rotation and lateral flexion (‘side bending’). But when we ride, its largely stuck curved forward, or in flexion. Pair this with a sitting working with a...