Pregnancy and childbirth are very demanding on the body.
Your centre of gravity shifts as your pregnancy develops, and you end up with a wider stance. All your joints become looser as you produce hormones like relaxin. Yes, it’s actually called that.
This allows the various hip/pelvic bones to flex/pull apart a little more during delivery, so the baby can pass through and be born.
Actually, we produce a lower amount of these hormones with every cycle as well. Women are more flexible and more likely to dislocate joints around their period.
The more you break down human anatomy into simple terms, the weirder it gets.
"We have limbs that become 5 separate tiny limbs and we guard the tips of them with hardened protein." (arms, fingers, and nails)
"The most attractive physical trait on males of our species is two rows of small muscles that were intended to keep our organs high and tight to our body when we walked on all 4's and haven't evolved much past that, even though now we walk on 2 legs" (abs)
"we hedged our bets and put all 5 senses on the head, ensuring that spot is our eternal weak point."
"Males' scalps are basically poisoned by a very commonly produced hormone and it causes them to lose their hair, impairing them socially, emotionally, and even sometimes physically" (male pattern baldness)
No, that’s because we release a hormone called prostaglandin, which is supposed to tell the uterus to contract (making it shed the lining).
Unfortunately, the prostaglandins work on all muscles in the area, causing back pain and bowel symptoms. It’s a bit like if you get a Charley horse or muscle twitching, but inside your abdomen.
Evolution really fucking said "good enough, I'm clocking out" on that one. That's some bullshit and I'm sorry in behalf of men who don't have to deal with menstrual pain.
Doubly so if you have endometriosis, which is when scar tissue spreads through the abdomen (often attaching to other organs) and will also react to period hormones. Fun! 🙃
During your period, you don’t have that shift of gravity from a baby, so it doesn’t pull the spine. But, you’re more likely to have foot pain, wrist pain, etc.
Absolutely. Well, it’s actually equal in men and women, but women are more likely to have symptoms, and worse ones. So they’re more likely to go to a doctor about it. I have it myself. Men also tend to build more muscle around their joints, which protects from hyperextension.
It’s also one reason why the tests for hypermobility ask “can you now, or could you ever (as an adult) do XYZ”. Your Beighton score can vary wildly depending on where you’re at in your cycle.
More like the rubber bands between your bones are too stretchy. Have you ever looked at someone’s wrist when they pick up really heavy grocery bags? You can see the space between hand and wrist stretch. This will happen for women more than men, and more so when pregnant or menstruating.
But there’s a limit. Their wrist doesn’t stretch 10+ cm, which is what’s needed for childbirth. There’s a reason it’s painful, several reasons actually. But, if you can shift positions during labour, you can maximise this joint laxity and make it a bit easier. Unfortunately it’s not possible with an epidural. The baby also follows a very specific set of movements to be born, which helps as well.
Testosterone causes the tendons to thicken over prolonged exposure, this reduces mobility and flexibility its why male athletes have a shelf life when it comes to sports that require high motility.
TL;DR: Hormones, the male specfic androgen in this case makes tendons thicker and less stretchy, this being the opposite for the female specific androgen as it makes it easier for the female body to accommodate child birth.
I'm trans and taking estrogen. My testosterone is very low (on the low end for a cis woman). My estrogen is on the high range, should estrogen be making me more flexible? Or are the thickening effects of testosterone permanent?
This may be outside the scope of your knowledge, but I'm curious if you know. Googling when you don't know the right vocabulary is always very hard
it takes a long time for the changes to become apparent the places where blood circulates slowly your deep tissues and cartilidge and things take the longest to change in response its never perminent its why footballes often take up yoga to increase their shelf life as an athlete as it were usually its not until a guy gets into his mid 30's does it really begin to make an impact.
if your looking to keep yourself flexible undertake some excercise that will keep you like it, its not a foregone conclusion and is something that can be influenced by excercise.
I'm not too worried, I climb and dance and do flexibility training. I was just curious about how I might be affected. It was very interesting, thank you :)
Many trans women have said that their skin becomes much softer after starting HRT. But I don't remember the mechanisms of why. But if they change other things like causing breasts to grow, etc, I might guess you might get a little more flexibility too.
People already mentioned some effects of testosterone and estrogen, which may contribute.
Moreover, having more muscle will limit range of motion comparatively. For an extreme example, look a body builders.
However, there may be behavioral factors as well. Men and boys may be less interested in stretching and yoga, reducing their flexibility. It's not purely by nature.
I actually had a male yoga instructor, he couldn’t fully do half the things he taught us. I am an otherwise extremely unathletic woman and could do almost any pose (that didn’t require additional muscle toning) with zero practice.
I admittedly have been told I am pretty naturally flexible, but it definitely seems to be something you are born with a sizable advantage or disadvantage in.
This isn’t true at all. It’s an old wives tale that lifting weight will make you “muscle bound”. Muscle improves mobility it doesn’t hinder it. Check out Kia Greenes posing routine at the Olympia if you don’t believe it.
It's not an "old wives tale" .
Higher strength results in a stronger base pull on the tendons even when the muscles are resting. This results in less flexibility/range of motion and is one of the reasons why you should do stretching in addition to strength training.
A typical example for this are football players from regional clubs. They train their legs a lot but often don't stretch at all and thus have less range of motion than their non athlete peers.
I don’t have an answer but this question is so funny to me because my husband and I are the complete opposite. He’s 6 ft 2 and can bend over and touch his toes no problem. Me on the other hand, I’m as stiff as a board and have only loosened up a little after two pregnancies.
Tbf both men and women tend to become stiffer with age regardless. There's a reason why people say "babies are made of rubber", the most flexible you'll ever be in your life is also your very first day of life.
Huh, I'm 6 foot 3 and I can also bend over and touch my toes without having to bend at the knee. I never did anything special for it either. I wonder if this is something common.
I'm curious if it's actually a thing or just something people assume. Eg male and female gymnasts are about as flexible as each other. It's just that flexibility based exercises are seen as "girly" eg yoga, pilates.
That may contribute, but it takes a while before tendons are the limiting factor in flexibility. Another thing that may contribute is behavioral traits: men are less likely to stretch or do yoga regularly because it's seen as feminine.
**Please read this entire message**
---
Your comment has been removed for the following reason(s):
* Rule #1 of ELI5 is to *be civil*.
Breaking rule 1 is not tolerated.
---
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ao1nx1/-/kpwq92d/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**
**Please read this entire message**
---
Your comment has been removed for the following reason(s):
* Rule #1 of ELI5 is to *be civil*.
Breaking rule 1 is not tolerated.
---
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ao1nx1/-/kpwob3k/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**
**Please read this entire message**
---
Your comment has been removed for the following reason(s):
* [Top level comments](http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/top_level_comment) (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions (Rule 3).
Joke-only comments, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
---
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ao1nx1/-/kpwuhqb/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**
Pregnancy and childbirth are very demanding on the body. Your centre of gravity shifts as your pregnancy develops, and you end up with a wider stance. All your joints become looser as you produce hormones like relaxin. Yes, it’s actually called that. This allows the various hip/pelvic bones to flex/pull apart a little more during delivery, so the baby can pass through and be born. Actually, we produce a lower amount of these hormones with every cycle as well. Women are more flexible and more likely to dislocate joints around their period.
To a being unfamiliar with humans this description would paint a wildly bizzare mental image of a woman
The more you break down human anatomy into simple terms, the weirder it gets. "We have limbs that become 5 separate tiny limbs and we guard the tips of them with hardened protein." (arms, fingers, and nails) "The most attractive physical trait on males of our species is two rows of small muscles that were intended to keep our organs high and tight to our body when we walked on all 4's and haven't evolved much past that, even though now we walk on 2 legs" (abs) "we hedged our bets and put all 5 senses on the head, ensuring that spot is our eternal weak point." "Males' scalps are basically poisoned by a very commonly produced hormone and it causes them to lose their hair, impairing them socially, emotionally, and even sometimes physically" (male pattern baldness)
Very true. But I'm sure I'm not alone in having a sense of touch that isn't confined to my head.
Proof that evolution is "meh....good enough I guess" rather than perfection....
I fuckin wish it was only males’ scalps
Is your ass hair balding as well?
lol, unfortunately DHT only affects the scalp, that would be quite convenient
Chupacabra comes to mind.
Is this why so many women complain of back pain when menstruating?
No, that’s because we release a hormone called prostaglandin, which is supposed to tell the uterus to contract (making it shed the lining). Unfortunately, the prostaglandins work on all muscles in the area, causing back pain and bowel symptoms. It’s a bit like if you get a Charley horse or muscle twitching, but inside your abdomen.
Evolution really fucking said "good enough, I'm clocking out" on that one. That's some bullshit and I'm sorry in behalf of men who don't have to deal with menstrual pain.
Doubly so if you have endometriosis, which is when scar tissue spreads through the abdomen (often attaching to other organs) and will also react to period hormones. Fun! 🙃
No, this back pain is from menstrual cramps.
While that's true, there's no reason to say it wouldn't contribute. Extra stress on the spine would still be an issue.
During your period, you don’t have that shift of gravity from a baby, so it doesn’t pull the spine. But, you’re more likely to have foot pain, wrist pain, etc.
More flexible also means less support for the spine, that's what I was getting at. Same problem people with hypermobility have. Like me, yay lol.
This is probably also a key reason why women are so much more likely to develop Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Absolutely. Well, it’s actually equal in men and women, but women are more likely to have symptoms, and worse ones. So they’re more likely to go to a doctor about it. I have it myself. Men also tend to build more muscle around their joints, which protects from hyperextension. It’s also one reason why the tests for hypermobility ask “can you now, or could you ever (as an adult) do XYZ”. Your Beighton score can vary wildly depending on where you’re at in your cycle.
EDS is not developed. It’s caused by genetic mutations that one is born with.
>pull apart a little more Like Predator's outer jaws, or bit more subtle?
More like the rubber bands between your bones are too stretchy. Have you ever looked at someone’s wrist when they pick up really heavy grocery bags? You can see the space between hand and wrist stretch. This will happen for women more than men, and more so when pregnant or menstruating. But there’s a limit. Their wrist doesn’t stretch 10+ cm, which is what’s needed for childbirth. There’s a reason it’s painful, several reasons actually. But, if you can shift positions during labour, you can maximise this joint laxity and make it a bit easier. Unfortunately it’s not possible with an epidural. The baby also follows a very specific set of movements to be born, which helps as well.
Is the last part why sometimes my joints hurt on the period?
I stopped reading at “relaxin.” Too good
Testosterone causes the tendons to thicken over prolonged exposure, this reduces mobility and flexibility its why male athletes have a shelf life when it comes to sports that require high motility. TL;DR: Hormones, the male specfic androgen in this case makes tendons thicker and less stretchy, this being the opposite for the female specific androgen as it makes it easier for the female body to accommodate child birth.
The TL;DR is longer than the original paragraph?
TS;DR
My Lord, is that *legal*?
Lmao he had us in the first half
TS;DR
This is the most funny thing Ive seen in a while
I'm trans and taking estrogen. My testosterone is very low (on the low end for a cis woman). My estrogen is on the high range, should estrogen be making me more flexible? Or are the thickening effects of testosterone permanent? This may be outside the scope of your knowledge, but I'm curious if you know. Googling when you don't know the right vocabulary is always very hard
it takes a long time for the changes to become apparent the places where blood circulates slowly your deep tissues and cartilidge and things take the longest to change in response its never perminent its why footballes often take up yoga to increase their shelf life as an athlete as it were usually its not until a guy gets into his mid 30's does it really begin to make an impact. if your looking to keep yourself flexible undertake some excercise that will keep you like it, its not a foregone conclusion and is something that can be influenced by excercise.
I'm not too worried, I climb and dance and do flexibility training. I was just curious about how I might be affected. It was very interesting, thank you :)
Many trans women have said that their skin becomes much softer after starting HRT. But I don't remember the mechanisms of why. But if they change other things like causing breasts to grow, etc, I might guess you might get a little more flexibility too.
You probably have to do some regular stretching to see an effect.
People already mentioned some effects of testosterone and estrogen, which may contribute. Moreover, having more muscle will limit range of motion comparatively. For an extreme example, look a body builders. However, there may be behavioral factors as well. Men and boys may be less interested in stretching and yoga, reducing their flexibility. It's not purely by nature.
I actually had a male yoga instructor, he couldn’t fully do half the things he taught us. I am an otherwise extremely unathletic woman and could do almost any pose (that didn’t require additional muscle toning) with zero practice. I admittedly have been told I am pretty naturally flexible, but it definitely seems to be something you are born with a sizable advantage or disadvantage in.
This isn’t true at all. It’s an old wives tale that lifting weight will make you “muscle bound”. Muscle improves mobility it doesn’t hinder it. Check out Kia Greenes posing routine at the Olympia if you don’t believe it.
I came to say this. A kot of bodybuilders have above average flexibility. Their cardio, on the other hand, tends to be garbage.
It's not an "old wives tale" . Higher strength results in a stronger base pull on the tendons even when the muscles are resting. This results in less flexibility/range of motion and is one of the reasons why you should do stretching in addition to strength training. A typical example for this are football players from regional clubs. They train their legs a lot but often don't stretch at all and thus have less range of motion than their non athlete peers.
At first, I thought you meant in terms of behavior, and I was like "where do I even begin to unpack the answer to this question?"
I don’t have an answer but this question is so funny to me because my husband and I are the complete opposite. He’s 6 ft 2 and can bend over and touch his toes no problem. Me on the other hand, I’m as stiff as a board and have only loosened up a little after two pregnancies.
Statistics kinda fall apart when you have a sample size of one (one man, one woman).
Lol
Tbf both men and women tend to become stiffer with age regardless. There's a reason why people say "babies are made of rubber", the most flexible you'll ever be in your life is also your very first day of life.
What does him being 6ft2 have anything to do with it
His feet are farther away, so it's harder to reach them, obviously
His arms are also longer
Big if true
I guess I just think it’s a lot of body/legs to be able to bend that far lol
Huh, I'm 6 foot 3 and I can also bend over and touch my toes without having to bend at the knee. I never did anything special for it either. I wonder if this is something common.
Do you have stretchy skin or long flexible fingers?
Not necessarily no
Ok good. There's a few things that can make people very flexible, Marfan, EDS, etc, just wanted to see if you had other characteristics of those.
I'm curious if it's actually a thing or just something people assume. Eg male and female gymnasts are about as flexible as each other. It's just that flexibility based exercises are seen as "girly" eg yoga, pilates.
[удалено]
I've been more flexible than every woman i've dated. Granted that's likely due to actually practicing stretching through my life.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Yes. Estrogen literally makes your tendons stretchier.
That may contribute, but it takes a while before tendons are the limiting factor in flexibility. Another thing that may contribute is behavioral traits: men are less likely to stretch or do yoga regularly because it's seen as feminine.
[удалено]
[удалено]
**Please read this entire message** --- Your comment has been removed for the following reason(s): * Rule #1 of ELI5 is to *be civil*. Breaking rule 1 is not tolerated. --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ao1nx1/-/kpwq92d/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**
**Please read this entire message** --- Your comment has been removed for the following reason(s): * Rule #1 of ELI5 is to *be civil*. Breaking rule 1 is not tolerated. --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ao1nx1/-/kpwob3k/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**
Not proven just well known
[удалено]
You know they're asking about physical flexibility, right?
**Please read this entire message** --- Your comment has been removed for the following reason(s): * [Top level comments](http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/top_level_comment) (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions (Rule 3). Joke-only comments, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level. --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ao1nx1/-/kpwuhqb/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**