I've never been able to bend forward properly when sat on the floor either with my legs out straight in front, or wide apart. In fact I can't even really sit upright with my back at 90 degrees to my legs.
This is weird because I exercise a lot and in all other ways I'm more flexible than the average person of my age, when standing I can bend over and touch the floor with straight legs no problems at all for example - but I can't remember being able to do this seated bend even when I was a child.
It's not that it hurts, incidently, or feels "difficult" - it just literally won't budge beyond a certain point. Even if I get a partner to push down on my back all that happens is that my butt slides forward and I start to travel forwards across the floor. My body is that resistant to it. I'm used to the "stretched" feeling when you jsut need to practice a position and gradually improve flexibility and this is not it. It's more like when you try and bend your knee backwards - it just won't happen.
Does anyone else have this problem? Is it just an anatomical thing I'm stuck with? Is it something to worry about? Are there alternative stretches I could do with similar benefits? It's very frustrating!
As I say, I am strong and fit and do plenty of different kinds of working out including strength and flexibility training, so this is a real anomaly!