How Can I Learn to Do a Toe Touch?

Cheerleaders make it look easy when they jump high with their arms and legs spread wide before landing softly back on the ground. It actually takes a lot of practice to perfect the technique, but although the toe touch requires skill, anyone can learn to do it by following the right steps and practicing as hard as a cheerleader.

Things You'll Need

  • Trampoline
  • Sneakers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Stretch out your legs and back. You cannot do a proper toe touch if you cannot spread your legs past 90 degrees. Begin your warm up by jumping rope or doing jumping jacks for several minutes. Then, sit on the ground, spread your legs and lean over one leg, holding on to your heel to stretch as deeply as possible. Move to the middle and stretch again, reaching your hands forward. Finish by stretching over the other leg. Repeat this stretch with several repetitions every day.

    • 2

      Practice reaching your legs and arms in the air at the same time. You will need a trampoline for this step, to give your jumps more height, which in turn will give you more time to snap your arms and legs up and down. You will also land a bit softer on a trampoline.

    • 3

      Move from the trampoline to the ground. Once your flexibility and your arm and leg coordination improve, begin working on jumping from the ground. This is when proper technique comes into play. Wear flexible sneakers with good bounce. Jump from the balls of your feet rather than the whole foot.

    • 4

      Extend your legs out and point your toes. Be sure to keep your back and chest upright, as if you are sitting in a chair. In a toe touch, you don't actually touch your toes, you extend your arms like a "T" and extend your legs out to the sides.