According to recent research, a simple method can help you know the condition your heart is in. Namely, health experts suggest that if you’re supple enough to reach your toes, it shows that your heart is in good shape too.
An article published in the Heart and Circulatory Physiology Journal explains that you can easily test the condition of your heart by touching your toes.
The method couldn’t be simpler. Sit on the floor with your legs and feet stretched forward, your toes pointing up. Reach out and touch the tip of your toes with your hands. If your body is flexible enough to touch your toes, it indicates that your heart is healthy and flexible too.
Touch The End Of Your Toes And You Will Know If There’s A Heart Problem Or Not (Read More)
The study conducted by researchers from the University of North Texas and Japanese involved 526 participants aged 20 to 83. The subjects first performed the test for body suppleness while their blood pressure, arteries and heart activity were measured. At the end of the study, the researchers found a link between the body and artery elasticity, especially in participants over 40.
The explanation was that those who couldn’t reach the end of their toes actually had stiff blood vessels, indicating a worsened heart state as well as an increased risk of heart disease. According to Japanese researcher Dr. Yamamoto, “If you can touch your toes while sitting straight, your heart is still quite good. But if you cannot, maybe you need to go to a cardiologist.”
The stiffness of the back and leg muscles has been linked to stiffness of the heart vessels because they have the same collagen composition.