Basic Toe Touch
Improve flexibility and stretch your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back with the basic toe touch. A simple bodyweight exercise for better range of motion.
Description
A stretching exercise where you bend over and aim to touch your toes.
Save Basic Toe Touch to a routine
Log sets, reps, and weight as you train — free in the Ellim app.
How to Do Basic Toe Touch
- 1Setup
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a slight, soft bend in your knees.
- 2Setup
Place your hands on your hips or let them hang relaxed by your sides.
- 3
Initiate the movement by hinging at your hips, keeping your back relatively straight as you lower your torso forward.
- 4
As you continue to bend, allow your spine to gently round, reaching your fingertips towards your shins, ankles, or toes, aiming for the floor.
- 5
Hold the stretch at your comfortable end range, feeling the tension primarily in your hamstrings and lower back, for the specified duration.
- 6
Engage your core and slowly reverse the motion, unrolling your spine segment by segment to return to the upright standing position.
Tips
- Breathe deeply and consistently throughout the stretch; exhale as you deepen the forward bend to relax into the stretch.
- Prioritize feeling a stretch in your hamstrings and glutes over actually touching your toes, aiming for your shins or ankles if needed.
- Keep your knees slightly bent, not locked out, to protect your joints and allow for a deeper, safer hamstring stretch.
Common Mistakes
- ×Rounding your upper back immediately instead of hinging from the hips reduces the hamstring stretch; focus on initiating the bend from your hips first.
- ×Locking your knees can put undue stress on the joint and limit hamstring engagement; maintain a soft bend in your knees throughout the stretch.
- ×Holding your breath creates tension and limits flexibility; breathe deeply and rhythmically to allow your muscles to relax into the stretch.
In the Ellim app, Basic Toe Touch unlocks
Free — no subscription needed
Log sets, reps, and weight
Track every set as you train
See your strength curve
Performance graphs across all sessions
Add to a routine
Save into a custom workout in one tap
Rest timer with Live Activity
Dynamic Island countdown between sets
HealthKit sync
Workouts flow to Apple Health
3,500+ exercise library
Search, filter, and pick variations offline
Ready to train basic toe touch?
Get Ellim — FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Basic Toe Touch work?
Is Basic Toe Touch good for beginners?
What equipment do I need for Basic Toe Touch?
What are the best tips for Basic Toe Touch?
What are common mistakes when doing Basic Toe Touch?
Related Exercises
Front Plank with Leg Lift
Enhance core stability and glute strength with the Front Plank with Leg Lift. This challenging exercise targets your abs, lower back, and glutes,
Elbows Back Stretch
Improve posture and flexibility with the Elbows Back Stretch. Stand tall, interlock your fingers behind your head, and gently pull your elbows back to
Weighted Kneeling Step with Swing
Master the Weighted Kneeling Step with Swing to build powerful legs, glutes, and core strength.
Full Planche Push-Up
Master the Full Planche Push-Up, an elite bodyweight exercise demanding immense strength and balance.
Assisted Standing Triceps Dip
Build triceps strength with machine assistance that lets you focus on proper dip form at a manageable load.
Cat Cow Stretch
Improve spinal flexibility and relieve back tension with this gentle yoga flow alternating between flexion and extension.
Track every rep of Basic Toe Touch.
Watch your weight climb session by session. See your strength curve. Add it to a routine you'll actually run.
Get Ellim — Free