To successfully touch your toes, you should prioritize a rounded 'C' curve posture leaning backward (spinal stretch with abdominal engagement) rather than hinging forward from the hips with a flat back.

mixed

The advice to round the back into a 'C' curve to successfully touch your toes is physiologically mixed. On one hand, a classic randomized clinical trial by Sullivan et al.

noli's read

The advice to round the back into a 'C' curve to successfully touch your toes is physiologically mixed. On one hand, a classic randomized clinical trial by Sullivan et al. demonstrates that hinging with a flat back (pelvis tilted forward) remains the most effective way to intensely lengthen the back of the thighs. This hip-hinge posture indeed applies direct and optimal tension to the hamstrings. Conversely, the 'C' curve primarily mobilizes spinal flexibility and stretches the back muscles. While it provides the mechanical illusion of bringing the hands closer to the floor, it actually reduces the real stretch on the legs. Both movements have their uses in wellness, but the rounded back alone is not the best tool for addressing leg stiffness.

the sources

Claimed by Tiboinshape. Noli grades the claim, never the person.

Decoded by Noli · July 13, 2026 · the original post

What the graded evidence says

Evidence: B

Effect: mechanism of range-of-motion gains; acute effects of stretching on performance — increased ROM largely attributable to greater stretch tolerance (sensory) in the short-to-medium term; prolonged static stretching immediately before activity can transiently reduce strength/power
Measured on: healthy active individuals

Whether long-term stretching also changes muscle structure is debated; short-to-medium-term gains are mostly explained by increased stretch tolerance. Effects on injury prevention are modest and separate from flexibility gains.

Tiboinshape in the Register88 claims graded · solidity 75/100See their record →