Mobility & Stretching
How to do Standing Toe Touches
Standing toe touches reach from overhead down to the toes to stretch the hamstrings and lower back.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Equipment
- None
- Sets & reps
- 2 sets of 10 reps
Target muscles
- Hamstrings
- Erector Spinae
Also works
- Calves
- Glutes
- Shoulders
PrimarySecondary
Technique
Step-by-step instructions
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
- Reach both arms overhead.
- Hinge at the hips and fold forward, reaching toward your toes.
- Let your head and neck relax at the bottom.
- Roll back up to standing with arms overhead.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing to reach further.
- Locking the knees hard.
- Rounding only the upper back.
- Standing up too fast.
Benefits
- Stretches hamstrings and lower back.
- Improves hip mobility.
- Great for warm-ups and cool-downs.
- Relieves tension from sitting.
Standing Toe Touches for Flexibility
Reaching from overhead down toward your toes mobilises the hips and stretches the hamstrings and lower back. Done dynamically, it makes an excellent warm-up; done slowly, it is a relaxing cool-down stretch.
Tips:
- Hinge from the hips.
- Bend the knees slightly if your hamstrings are tight.
- Never bounce at the bottom.