§ 01
Flexibility
Clinical fitness assessment

Sit and Reach

Measure hamstring and lower back flexibility — the most commonly used flexibility test.

Equipment

Sit-and-reach box (standard: 26 cm at the foot line).

The protocol
  1. 01Client removes shoes and sits on the floor with legs fully extended, feet flat against the box.
  2. 02Knees must remain straight (assistant can gently hold them if needed).
  3. 03With hands overlapping (middle fingers aligned), slowly reach forward as far as possible along the top of the box.
  4. 04Hold the maximum reach for 2 seconds.
  5. 05Record the distance reached in cm.
  6. 06Perform 3 attempts. Record the best.
What to watch for
  • Bending the knees to reach further.
  • Bouncing or jerking forward.
  • One hand reaching further than the other (fingers should be aligned).
  • Leading with the head rather than the hands.
Normative scoring

Calibrated to a 26 cm foot-line box. Men (age 20-29): >40 cm excellent, 34-40 good, 30-33 average, 25-29 below average, <25 poor. Women (age 20-29): >41 cm excellent, 37-41 good, 33-36 average, 28-32 below average, <28 poor.

Run it with GainPT

Run this test with branded client reports.

GainPT scores Sit and Reach against published normative data and turns it into a clean, GainPT-branded PDF your client keeps. All 47 clinical tests, unlimited retests — free to start, no card required.