Exercise Tutorial: Toe Touch
Table of Contents
What is a Toe Touch
A Toe Touch is an exercise that aims to increase core strength and stability. There are many ways you can perform the Toe Touch so feel free to add your own flair to the exercise!
How to Do a Toe Touch
The Toe Touch is a bodyweight movement that you can perform anywhere! It is very easy to learn how to do a Toe Touch. Follow these simple steps to learn how to do a Toe Touch.
Lie down flat on a mat on your back. Elevate only your legs into the air so that they are as straight as possible. Your legs should form a 90-degree angle at the hip.
Brace the core and extend your arms out in front of you. You are aiming to touch your toes with your hands by pulsing the upper body. Your shoulder blades will come off the ground when you try to touch the toes.
Repeat the movement for the required amount of reps and sets. Remember that your legs will remain fixed in the air, and it is your upper body that is moving to help you try to touch the toes.
You have now learned how to do a Toe Touch!
Toe Touch Benefits
The benefits of the Toe Touch are centered around strengthening the core. Specifically, the Rectus Abdominus. Additional Toe Touch benefits include improving flexibility, balance and posture.
Why is the Toe Touch Useful
The Toe Touch is a useful exercise because it engages the Abdominals. Strengthening the core is essential to performing our everyday activities and keeping a strong posture and balance. A strong core will translate into almost every other exercise that you do and help you to perform them even better. Moreover, as we age, strong abdominals are crucial to keeping our balance and reducing falls risk.
Seated Toe Touch
The Seated Toe Touch is in reference to the Hamstring stretch. The Seated Toe Touch is a great way to increase flexibility in the Hamstrings and is a popular static stretch to perform after a workout.
How to Do a Seated Toe Touch
To perform a Seated Toe Touch, sit on the ground with your torso upright and your legs straight out on the floor in front of you. Take a deep breath and then extend the arms towards the toes. The goal is to be able to touch your toes, however many people lack the flexibility needed to do so. If you cannot touch your toes, hold your closest position to the toes for 30 seconds.
Regular practice of this stretch will enable you to touch your toes over time!
Standing Toe Touch
The Standing Toe Touch is a dynamic stretch that you can perform before a workout. This is a great way to prepare the muscles for movement and reduce your risk of injury.
How to Do a Standing Toe Touch
To perform a Standing Toe Touch, make sure you have some space in front of you to swing the leg forwards. When you are ready, extend your leg up in front of the body so that you are bringing the toes up to shoulder height. This movement will look like you are performing a high kick. As you do this, extend the arm on the opposite side straight out in front of you so that the toes make contact with your hand. Repeat on the other side of the body and continue to alternate Toe Touches.
Toe Touch Weight Bearing
Toe Touch Weight Bearing is a method of walking when you need a walker to assist you. In this method, you will step into the walker with your affected leg so that your toes are the only part of the foot making contact with the floor. Your unaffected leg will follow and then you advance the walker forwards. Continue with this cycle to perform the Toe Touch Weight Bearing. This method can also be performed using crutches.
Toe Touch Jumps
Toe Touch Jumps are a type of jump that is used in cheerleading. This style of jump features ridged segments that are extended in the air. While suspended in the air, both your hands will make contact with the feet. Toe Touch Jumps require a fair amount of flexibility, so if you are serious about learning how to perform this style of jump, it is best to speak to a cheer coach or trainer who will be able to safely assist you.
Toe Touch Stretch
The Toe Touch stretch has two variations, seated and standing. We described the Seated Toe Touch above. The Standing Toe Touch is easy to perform, and simply has the athlete bend at the waist and use their hands to touch the toes. Some individuals will cross one foot over the other and then perform the Toe Touch Stretch. Others will keep the feet beside each other and perform the stretch. The choice is up to you as both variations will stretch the Back and Hamstrings.
Toe Touch Squats
Toe Touch Squats are another stretch variation. First, bend down and grasp onto the toes. Your back should be flat, and your knees will be bent. Next, while holding onto your toes enter a squat position by lowering the Glutes. Once you are in the bottom of your squat, release your hands from your toes and come up out of the squat into a standing position. Repeat the movement.
