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wikiHow to Wiggle Your Small Toe Separately from the Rest of Your Toes

Touted by many as 'the holy grail of muscle control', this trick has only been mastered by few.


  1. 1
    Sit down, take off your socks and shoes and get into a comfortable position.
  2. 2
    Grab your big toe and the three small toes with your hand. Watch out for straining your torso muscles too much. Sometimes holding your foot with the opposite hand is more comfortable than the parallel hold.
  3. 3
    Wiggle all of your toes together, while holding the big toe and the three smaller toes still with your hand. Do you feel the resistance? This resistance is what you want to get rid of.
  4. 4
    Slowly decrease the amplitude of the wiggling motion. You can do this with your eyes closed to avoid getting distracted by the visual feedback (which might prove deceiving).
  5. 5
    Over the span of a couple of weeks you should be able to do it without holding the other toes, signifying complete mastery of the small-toe-wiggling move.
  6. 6
    Remember that although it might be frustrating, repetition is key. It takes dedication and devotion to gain control of these muscles but once you do it's as easy as wiggling your big toe.

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    • Some of our muscles are so weak they won't respond to normal efforts, they only move when you really force it and often other muscles are engaged. Your small toe is a nice metaphor/example for other weak muscles on your body. Most people can't separate the small toe from the other four because the muscles governing its movement are weak in comparison; you end up moving everything just to move the one you want. So, one way to gain control over the movement of this toe is to make a small effort to move your little toe without worrying whether it moves or not--so that IF your little toe was strong enough, it WOULD move. The point of this is to become aware of how it feels to flex just those particular muscles. By being aware of the muscle it will build neurons in your brain for the muscles and movement you want, speeding things up a bit. If you try to do this every day, maybe multiple times a day, the muscle WILL eventually get strong enough that you'll see tiny movements. After a while you'll be in complete control. I like this method because it practices mindfulness, and you'll be training yourself not to engage the muscles of the other 4 toes--thereby killing two birds with one stone!
    • Some people are naturally better with their left or right small toe. Experiment! If you are one of the few people who have equal ability in both toes, consider yourself blessed!

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    Categories: Body Tricks

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