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Get Fit for ’26
This article is part of our Get Fit for ’26 series, in which our writers talk about the wellness and fitness challenges and experiences they’ve taken on – and are planning to take on – this year. You can read all the articles in the series here.
A perpetual embarrassment of mine is that I can’t touch my toes with straight legs. By all accounts, I should be able to do this. I’ve been practicing yoga regularly for over a decade now. Every time I have a new teacher, I can see them trying to figure out what level I’m at – how it could possibly be that I know all the poses yet cannot do a simple forward bend without crumpling myself up completely. Instruction from the best fitness apps, metrics from smartwatches… none of it’s done me any good.
The stretches
I decided that to make it more likely I’d stick to the challenge, I would keep the stretches relatively simple. There are plenty of stretching routines out there aimed at tackling this particular issue, but here’s what I chose to do:
Lie with feet up a wall (10 mins)
Forward bend with legs wide apart (x10)
Forward bend with legs medium-distance apart (x10)
Forward bend with legs hip width-distance apart (x10)
Leg raises (x10 per side)
Bonus: Single leg deadlifts (x10 per side)
The whole thing took about 15 minutes per day in total.
Diary highlights
1 Dec (day 1)
The challenge begins. It’s Cyber Monday, which it must be said is not the quietest time of the year for me. I’m working from home on shift hours, starting late and working into the evening, but I dutifully complete my stretch sequence during my ‘lunch’ break at 7.30pm.
I’d chosen the feet-up-a-wall stretch because a yoga teacher had once suggested I try passive stretches like this. I suspect for most people this isn’t really a ‘stretch’, but for me it hurts a surprising amount, and by the end of the 10 minutes I have pins and needles in my feet.
2 Dec (day 2)
I’m up at 5.30am to catch an early train to London for an interview at the US Embassy to get a Journalist Visa, followed by two video recordings for TechRadar’s YouTube channel and a late train home (did I mention this was not a quiet time of year?). All of this to say – I do not remember my stretches today. Not a great start.
5 Dec (day 5)
I’ve got myself into a good habit of doing my stretches around lunchtime, which is fine when I’m working from home but will be less feasible in the office… at least, unless I can find an extremely private corner.
Warming up makes a big difference. On my first forward fold I feel stiff, even though with wide legs, it should be quite easy. After I’ve done a few I loosen up considerably.
6 Dec (day 6)
I’m visiting family, but such is my commitment to the challenge that I find a quiet moment and go and lie staring and the cobwebby underside of a dresser while others prepare lunch. Someone suggests I have been doing the forward bends too quickly. I slow these down and they become much more painful.
9 Dec (day 9)
After a HIIT class and short treadmill run, I bite the bullet and self-consciously start my stretching on the gym floor. My legs are very stiff and the passive stretch is very painful. That makes sense after cardio, and it does feel like it’s doing me good. I focus on tilting my hips so my bum is pushing into the floor more, and flexing my feet to intensify the stretch.
At this point I realize I’m over a week in (granted, I’ve missed a couple of days) and don’t feel like I’ve made any noticeable progress. What if I’m not successful?
14 Dec (day 14)
Half-way through the challenge. I record the timelapse featured above and take some progress shots. I can now touch my toes – just about – at the end of the stretching sequence.
16 Dec (day 16)
I’m back at my parents’ house, and it’s surprisingly difficult to find a wall to stretch on – especially working around decorations and avoiding drafty corners or flagstone floors (there are limits to my commitment). I spend a lot of the passive stretch period fielding questions from my dad, although he quietens down when I suggest he join in.
17 Dec (day 17)
Stretching session after a circuits class. It’s humbling to simply lie on the floor of the gym while everyone around me is pumping weights. Also rather embarrassing to leave a sweat angel on the floor (I deploy some cleaner spray like a good gym citizen).
20 Dec (day 20)
One of many late-night stretch sessions crammed in amongst the festive madness. Again I wonder the wisdom of choosing this time of year to do this challenge – long, quiet January might have been a better choice. Although perhaps I will inspire others to start their own challenge in January?
22 Dec (day 22)
I embark on an early morning yoga session, starting 7.30am. I am stunned at just how inflexible I am first thing in the morning. I can barely reach to mid-shin during my sun salutations.
28 Dec (day 28)
Another missed day, and at this point I’ve given up on forming any kind of routine. Ideally I’d stretch first thing in the morning every day. Unfortunately, a) Lying down directly after waking up feels like a recipe for dropping off again. b) It’s cold at that time of day and c) I am wildly inflexible first thing.
31 Dec (day 31)
It’s the final day of the challenge. You can scroll down to read the stretching results. I’ve missed a total of 6 days out of the 31, and to be honest I’m not too disappointed at that. December has been a busy month for me, with plenty of disruptions to my regular routine and lots of visits to people’s houses making things tricky. Not to mention the impact that festive decorations has had on available wall space.
The results
On day 31, I can touch my toes with my knees locked out, without any kind of prior stretching. In fact, I can just about touch the floor. With some warming up, it’s even better – I can reach the floor comfortably. A passive stretch makes the most notable difference.
I’m not quite as flexible as I was hoping to be – my back is still arched awkwardly and I still can’t get close to my toes first thing in the morning, when my muscles haven’t had any chance to warm up. Oh, and it all still feels really uncomfortable. But I’m miles ahead of where I was at the start of the month, and there is finger-toe contact where there was none before, so I’m counting it as a success!
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