MEDICAL MISCELLANY

CAN anyone learn to do the splits? WITH enough time and practice, most healthy adults could eventually manage the splits, says Sammy Margo, a London- based chartered physiotherapist.

If you’re not naturally flexible, you’ll need to keep practising or you will lose the skill.

This ability is different from being double-jointed — also known as joint hypermobility — which is often due to having genetically weak collagen (a protein found in ligaments, the bands of connective tissue that link together bones), which means you can do things such as bending your thumb back to touch your forearm.

This is not necessarily something you can do with practice, says Margo. ‘Ligaments have a “plastic limit” and there’s a point that they will not exceed.’

While hypermobility may hold some advantage for activities such as gymnastics, it can lead to stiffness, aches and pains and clicking and dislocating joints.