Can you do the splits?

No but I can still touch my toes! (But then I have very long arms.)

My Grandma was a Tiller Girl & could do the splits at 90yrs old High kicks too
But not me Couldn’t even try

I would rather go to Sainsburys

Never been able to do this, but my mother, who was once a professional dancer, could still do the splits in her 70s!

Not any more, but I can still stand on my head aged 70, much to my grandchildren's amusement ?

I managed the forwards/backwards splits for a few weeks when I was twelve. I have never since been able to repeat this feat. Does it bother me? Not in the slightest.

Camelotclub

No but I can still touch my toes! (But then I have very long arms.)

Same here.

O, but I do Pilates and Zumba weekly to keep me flexible and fit.

?? oh me too

I've never been able to do the splits even when I was young and I'm certainly not going to try now. But I have a friend who can still do it - she's 85!! She's been doing Yoga all her life so that's probably why she's so supple.

RichmondPark1

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/a-new-start-after-60

Thanks for sharing. Inspirational indeed!

My mum could do the splits when she was a child, and right into her late 60s. I never could. I’ve never really wanted to, either! The whole idea of having to improve myself now I’m over 60 fills me with gloom. For heaven’s sake, whatever happened to growing old gracefully?

The last person I know who found she could do the splits, wasn't even trying.
She trod on a wet cabbage leaf in Tesco, and she needed a hip replacement a year or so after that surprise.

Could in my youth. Could dance the can can..

I slipped on a wet floor a couple of years ago and did the splits as I fell. I was terrified it would affect my hip replacement but it didn't. Just a slight muscle pull. Wouldn't want to put it to the test again however. I find it difficult to get up off the floor without holding on to a piece of furniture!

Yes I can, but only frontwards, not sideways, my granddaughters think it’s hilarious, as they can’t!

Ive never been able to do the splits properly, I did used to try but certainly would try to do them now, it would end in disaster!! One of my Grandmas could do the splits till she was well in her 70’s.

Yes but not intentionally ?

I've been to pilates for years and before that I did a huge range of different exercise classes. There are things I can do easily but struggle with other things that some people find easy. My pilates teacher is excellent about explaining why and offering a different movement. We all have very different bodies, I'm strong but not particularly flexible, I have a tilted pelvis with a slight rotation to the left but my most limiting factor is I have long limbs and a relatively compact body with a particularly short lower back, I have no space between my last rib and my hip. This really limits my ability to perform some exercises fortunately pilates is not a competitive sport. No I can't do the splits.

Yes I can - forwards with my right leg in front and left one behind, but not the sideways box splits.

No I can't and even if I could manage it I would probably need a hoist and two carers to het me back up again......

I never could .. I love this article. Especially the yoga, and living abroad. When I was young in my 30’s I worked in a nursing home, the amount of old people that could not lift their arms because they had become stiff and immobile, was a shock to me. Since then I have always lift d my arms over my head everyday, sounds silly but, it was a real issue trying to dress them with no movement, unable to lift arm to even shoulder height. The older I am getting the more I want adventure, like time is running out. X

Hell NO, never been able to!

My granddaughter can but then she is 14. She has always been ‘double jointed’ and she is a dancer. She can do all sorts of weird things like putting her legs round her neck. My pinnacle of fame was backward flips but I haven’t done one since I was in my 40 s and I sure ain’t gonna try now , probably get stuck in that position forever !

I do not think the doctor is the right person to advise on this. I would speak to a reputable chiropractor. Any yoga teacher would need to be very experienced with the elderly, and gentle, but why give up?