• Question: why are some people flexable and some not?

    Asked by nida27 to Indi, Jarv, John, Ken, Vicky on 16 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: John Prytherch

      John Prytherch answered on 16 Mar 2012:

      People do have some natural flexibility, but a lot of it comes from doing stretches – the more you do the more stretchy your tendons become. Most people could do the splits if they practised enough!

    • Photo: Indi Ghangrekar

      Indi Ghangrekar answered on 16 Mar 2012:

      Some people have more stretchy ligaments too – due to their genetics. I and my sister do, that’s why when she had an ankle dislocation, which normally results in the bone breaking as that joint is so tight, hers didn’t!

    • Photo: Vicky Young

      Vicky Young answered on 17 Mar 2012:

      HI Nida27

      There are lots of things that can affect someones flexibility: different joint structure, ligaments, tendons, length of muscles, skin, tissue injury, fat tissue, body temperature, age and their gender. So it can get really complicated really quickly.

      Like John said you can improve your flexibility in some joints to a certain degree by exercising and stretching but there will still always be differences between people.

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