Sit and Reach Test

Eurofit for Adults

The Sit and Reach test measures the flexibility of the muscles of the rear thigh (hamstrings) and the low back.

Test Equipment

Normally, a box 32 cm (12.6 in) high with a ruler mounted on top is used for the test. However, a fair estimate of flexibility can be obtained without a box.

Testing Procedure

The examinee warms up with light calisthenics and submaximal stretching, then sits on the floor with the knees straight. When a box is used, the examinee presses the soles of the feet against the side of the box and, with elbows straight, reaches as far towards and beyond the toes as possible in a smooth movement while sliding the fingers along the top surface of the box. Two warmup trials should precede the actual test, in which measurement of furthest reach is made from the ruler. When no box is used, the examinee keeps the feet perpendicular to the ground and the hands at about 32 cm (12.6”) above the ground. A handheld ruler is used to measure the furthest reach of the fingertips relative to the soles of the feet.

Test Norms

In the following table, based on a Swedish national survey, zero is equivalent to just reaching the level of the bottom of the feet. A positive number is the distance reached beyond the soles of the feet and a negative number is the distance short of the soles of the feet.

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