Touching the inside of the forearm with the tip of the thumb. Check. Elbows and knees that bend 10 degrees or more in the wrong direction. Double check. Pinkie fingers that flex 90 degrees backwards or more. Almost. Placing hands flat on the floor with straight legs and feet together. Easy peasy.
If, like me, you can do most of these things, and other joint-defying feats that make non-bendy people feel a bit queasy, the chances are that you’re hypermobile. For most of my life, I have believed this to be a good thing: I often feel smug in yoga classes, and am not someone you should challenge to the cereal box game, which involves picking up a cardboard box off the floor with your teeth. Many world-class athletes, from the swimmer and most decorated Olympian Michael Phelps, to the multi-medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles, also have hypermobility. So I’m in good company.
