Get ready for '26
This article is part of our Get Ready for '26 series, in which our writers share health and fitness challenges and experiences they've taken on—and plan to tackle—this year. You can read all articles in the series Here.
I'm constantly confused by the fact that I can't touch my toes when my legs are straight. Apparently I can do it. I have been practicing yoga regularly for over ten years. Every time I get a new teacher, I see them trying to figure out what level I'm at – how can it be that I know all the poses, but I can't do a simple forward bend without completely collapsing. Instructions from best fitness appsindicators from smart watch…none of this did me any good.
Stretch marks
I decided that to increase the likelihood that I would pass the test, I would keep the stretches relatively simple. There are many stretching exercises available to address this specific issue, but here's what I decided to do:
Lie down with your feet on the wall (10 minutes)
Bend forward with legs wide apart (x10)
Bend forward with legs at medium distance (x10)
Bend forward with feet shoulder-width apart (x10)
Leg raises (10 times per side)
Bonus: Single leg deadlift (x10 per side)
In total, all this took about 15 minutes a day.
Diary Highlights
December 1 (day 1)
The test begins. Today is Cyber Monday, which, admittedly, is not the quietest time of the year for me. I work from home during shift hours, start late and work into the evening, but dutifully complete my stretching routine during my lunch break at 7:30 p.m.
I chose the legs up the wall stretch because a yoga teacher once suggested I try a similar passive stretch. I suspect that for most people this isn't really a “stretch” but for me it's surprisingly painful and my legs are tingling by the end of the 10 minutes.
December 2 (day 2)
I get up at 5.30am to catch an early train to London for an interview at the US Embassy for a journalist visa, followed by two videotapes for TechRadar YouTube channel and a late train home (did I mention it was a hectic time of year?). All this to say that I don’t remember my stretch marks today. Not the best start.
December 5 (day 5)
I've gotten into the good habit of stretching during lunch, which is fine when I'm working from home, but would be less feasible in the office…at least unless I can find a very private corner.
Warming up is important. The first time I lean forward I feel stiff, although with wide feet it should be quite easy. After I've done a few, I relax considerably.
December 6 (day 6)
I'm visiting family, but my commitment to this challenge is so great that I find a quiet moment and go and lie looking at the cobweb-covered bottom of the dresser while others prepare dinner. Some people suggest that I'm leaning forward too quickly. I slow them down and they become much more painful.
December 9 (day 9)
After a HIIT class and a short run on the treadmill, I gritted my teeth and deliberately began stretching on the gym floor. My legs are very tight and passive stretching is very painful. It makes sense after cardio and I think it does me good. I focus on tilting my hips to press my butt more into the floor and bending my legs to deepen the stretch.
At this point, I realize that it's been over a week (though I've missed a couple of days) and I don't feel like I've made any noticeable progress. What if I don't succeed?
December 14 (day 14)
Halfway to completing the task. I record the time lapse shown above and take some progress shots. I can now touch my toes—almost—at the end of a stretch.
December 16 (day 16)
I'm back at my parents' house and finding it surprisingly hard to find a wall to lean on, especially when working on decorations and avoiding drafts or stone floors (my commitments have limits). I spend most of the passive stretching period answering my father's questions, although he calms down when I invite him to join.
December 17 (day 17)
Stretching after a circuit design lesson. It's humiliating to just lie on the gym floor while everyone around you pumps weights. It's also quite awkward to leave an angel of sweat on the floor (I spray cleaning spray like a good gym citizen).
December 20 (20 day)
One of many late-night stretches squeezed into the holiday madness. I again wonder if it was wise to choose this time of year to do this task – long, quiet January might have been a better choice. Although perhaps I will inspire others to start their own challenge in January?
December 22 (22nd day)
I start an early morning yoga class starting at 7:30 am. I'm stunned by how inflexible I am in the morning. I can barely reach mid-calf during sun salutations.
December 28 (28 day)
Another missed day, and at this point I gave up on forming any kind of routine. Ideally, I would stretch in the morning every day. Unfortunately, a) Going to bed immediately after waking up is a surefire way to fall back to sleep. b) It’s cold at this time of day and c) First of all, I’m wildly inflexible.
December 31 (31 days)
This is the last day of the test. You can scroll down to read the stretch results. I missed a total of 6 days out of 31 and, to be honest, I'm not too disappointed about it. December was a busy month for me, with many disruptions to my normal daily routine and many visits to people's homes making my life difficult. Not to mention the impact holiday decorations have on available wall space.
Results
On day 31, I can touch my toes with my knees straight, without any pre-stretching. In fact, I can almost touch the floor. After warming up for a while it got even better – I can comfortably reach the floor. Passive stretching makes the most noticeable difference.
I'm not as flexible as I'd hoped—my back is still arched awkwardly, and I still can't get close to my legs first thing in the morning before my muscles have had time to warm up. Oh, and it all still seems very awkward. But I'm way ahead of where I was at the beginning of the month, and there's toe contact where there wasn't before, so I'm calling it a success!
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