Goal: Touch your toes
Touching your toes when you’re just starting to move more
Dr Nicola Tik
Maybe it’s been a while since you were last active, or maybe movement has never been a big part of your routine. Touching your toes might feel like a big goal from where you are now. Every reach starts somewhere, and your body can respond to stretching whatever your starting point.
Research has found that regular stretching can improve flexibility across ages and activity levels. You don’t need to be fit or flexible to start, and starting small and staying regular tends to matter more than how far you can reach today.
Much of the early progress comes from your nervous system getting used to the stretch. Each time you practise, your body learns the stretch is safe and lets you go a little further.
You could try:
A mild pull is fine. You don’t need to feel a strong stretch for it to be working.
Folding from your hips, as if closing a drawer with your bottom, helps you reach further and is kinder on your back. You can practise this in everyday moments too, like picking something up from the floor.
About 10 minutes a week for each area is enough to see changes, so your daily 5-minute goal video gives you plenty. Choosing a regular time, like after your morning coffee, can help it become a habit. On busy days, the 30-second VIDA videos still count.
Your weekly check-in in VIDA shows how your reach changes over time. Progress can feel slow at first and may go up and down from week to week, but small, steady changes add up.
Choose one time each day for your goal video, and try to keep to it for five days.