Sit-and-Reach Test (and Variants)

The sit-and-reach is the most common field test of hamstring and lower-back flexibility. It uses a sit-and-reach box with a measuring scale on top.

Standard protocol: warm up; remove shoes; sit with legs straight, soles flat against the box (foot line commonly set at the 23 cm / 9 in mark on the scale, or 26 cm in some standards). Hands overlapped, slowly reach forward and hold the farthest point ~2 s without bouncing. Take the best of 2–3 trials (cm or in).

Variants:

• Modified sit-and-reach — uses a baseline set to each person's individual reach (accounts for differing arm/leg length, improving validity).
• V-sit reach and back-saver sit-and-reach (FitnessGram, one leg at a time) — reduce asymmetry/strain and are common in youth testing.
• Chair sit-and-reach — seated on a chair with one leg extended; used for older adults (Senior Fitness Test).

Caveats: the test is influenced by arm-to-leg length ratio (hence the modified version) and chiefly reflects posterior-chain length, not whole-body flexibility. It is not a strong predictor of low-back-pain risk despite historical claims.

• Measures hamstring + lower-back flexibility via a sit-and-reach box (foot line ~23–26 cm).
• Reach and hold ~2 s, no bouncing; record best of 2–3 trials (cm/in).
• Variants: modified (individualized baseline), V-sit, back-saver (per-leg), chair (older adults).
• Confounded by limb-length ratio; reflects posterior chain, not general flexibility; weak LBP predictor.

• shoulder-flexibility-test — upper-body flexibility companion.
• goniometry — joint-specific ROM measurement.
• flexibility-norms — interpret the score.
• static-stretching — how to improve a poor result.
• hamstrings — the primary tissue assessed.