Things we do differently because of our bendiness

[isotope]

I either sit on a leg, or fold one up to my chest so I can rest my arm over the knee. Reason for me is it's SO uncomfortable to sit with two legs on the floor, it puts strain on my hips and lower back that is instantly relieved by pulling one leg up.

[Englishgremlin1]

When I thread a needle it twist my arm to get the correct angle from the elbo and shoulder rahter than the wrist.

[mazza111]

Watched my daughter getting up from being cross legged on the floor in one fluid movement without using hands, I sure couldn't do that. I'd be lucky to get up again And that's with one knee cap in totally wrong position!!

[BendyBoff]

I also squat down when I use a dustpan and brush - used to get a lot of funny looks when I worked in a deli and was cleaning up at the end of the day! Have to be careful though because squatting can lead to my knees locking and then they won't unbend.

Also sit with one/both legs up on chair and sort of twist my body - I find it really comfy which confuses poor old hubby.

Since having baby Jacob I have also started just bending over the cot to kiss him good night - hubby can't even reach that far!

xxxx

[norfolkandchance]

Hi Bendyneck

Just read you last post here and I am like mad! I honesty have never considered the fact that I sit on one leg as you do not to be the norm! I also squat right down to use a dust pan and brush and shuffle or when I was younger bounced along. I thought everyone did this.

Thanks for giving me such an enormous laugh.
Fluffym

PS why do we find the need to sit on one leg on a chair????

I also thought that was the usual way to use dustpan and brush!

I can no longer sit with one leg under me for risk of dislocating my knee

I fell asleep upright on the sofa the other evening and woke up to an out-of-socket experience in my right shoulder. That was interesting - my first ever totally relaxed dislocation. Still blimmin hurt though!

[mazza111]

I too squat to use a dustpan and brush, I'm not a bendy though. When daughter does it, she bends from the waist.

[Spireite]

I too squat right down to use a dustpan and brush, or to do the gardening/weeding. What is funny about that?

I'm now in charge of my elderly parents' 'low maintenance' garden and I've been attacking their weeds in two hour sessions. So for two hours I'm constantly full squatting to pull the weeds and standing up, then full squatting again etc. Is that odd?

[Superstottie]

I would have thought that squatting would be how 'normals' do it, as they cannot do it the way I do it which is just bend at the waist with straight legs, I will even remain bent and walk round to do the entire floor! How else are 'normals' supposed to do it as they cannot reach when staying upright??

[Llaurin]

I do the full squat too, it just makes sense! You can reach everything around you, stand up again without much effort, and 'walk' around while still down there - and you don't wear holes in your jeans to do it.

In a meeting this week, we were all chatting and one lady was saying how she had persuaded her husband to paint her toenails for her as she can't bend down to them, there were several people agreeing with her, and I asked why they don't just put their foot on their lap - everyone was giving me the look, so I tucked my foot up onto my lap to demonstrate. Apparently, being able to lay your foot in your own lap and then bend your toes over towards you isn't the way everyone else does it. Who knew?

[thalia]

Must admit that's not how I do my toenails, Llaurin. I am more likely to put my foot up on whatever I'm sitting on, tucking my knee into my armpit,a nd lean down that way to my nails. Apparently that's not normal either. Nor, according to my other half, is lying on my side with the bottom leg bent at 90 degrees, and then having the foot of the top most leg flat on the surface I'm lying on just above my bottom thigh. Very comfortable for me, but he finds it most odd

[isotope]

LOL, all this talk about a dustpan and brush. I used to bend at the waist as I can't squat anyway, my knees don't allow me too (I just roll backwards onto my backside if I try). As I'm older and my back is quite unstable when bending over and walking along (liable to do myself an injury) I sit right down on the floor to use the dustpan and brush, any other way is unnecessarily painful!

I guess this is what comes of being an 'old' bendy

[gila]

I'm a squat-er too (and an old bendy ) - but I dont think that's all that normal for normals- at least not western normals and def not a 'bendy full squat' where your bum touches your ankles and your chest touches your knees; in some cultures, maybe cause they are generally more bendy and/or cause 'chairs arent that wide spread' it is much more common-
the only other person I've ever seen retrieving something from a bottom shelf in a supermarket here by squatting down was an older chinese or vietnamese lady
from my experience most normals here weed etc by bending down (with bent legs) or 'anatomically more helpful' by kneeling (hence all the kneeling pads you can buy)

spireite- but these days I had to start kneeling for weeding too as the 'squatting and reaching' is now hurting my back rather quickly- never used to and still just squatting to sit doesnt hurt either- so maybe the squat and reach 'far forward' isnt such a good technique, and maybe that even overstretches ligaments further too???

superstottie- in a similar way I doubt that always bending with straight legs is a good thing in the long run-physios and general lifting techniques always advise to bend your knees when bending

just because we can do something in a different way... pity enough doesnt always mean it's good or right to do so...
xxg

[wonkychick]

I bend at the waist too to use a dustpan & brush & can do the whole floor walking about like that. Gardening & weeding, the same. Painting my toenails I just put my foot up to my lap too, also dont need toe spacers on right foot as can fan my toes. Threading a needle I do the elbow thing, just checked, but again didn't realise that wasn't the normal way.
I've recently had a thumb op & can't do my bra up so have to do the 'do up at front thing & swivel round', complaining to friends that its a nuisance & they all consider that the normal way & I'm freaky to do it my way.
My hubby has a bit of a foot fetish, likes to smell my feet so led in bed on my side alongside him, I can put my foot up to his nose thereby bending over 90 degrees from my hip, he cant do it & finds it amusing that I can.

[Superstottie]

I know that bending like I do is not a good thing - and probably;y half the reason my back and pelvis are now shot!! I never did get why people bought those toe spacer things for painting their nails - why would you need one?? I also don't get back scratchers - thought they were for old people!

[gila]

yep fanning toes and also squeezing them together on both sides no prob- and they fan by themselves if standing/walking barefoot
and yep back scratcher or bath brush for backs... who needs em- and my mum at 86...still doesnt need them