Jane and Ken Meyer Wellness Center
Sit and Reach Test
This test measures the flexibility of the lower back and hamstring muscles. This test involves sitting on the floor with legs out straight ahead. Feet (shoes off) are placed with the soles flat against the box, shoulder-width apart. Both knees are held flat against the floor by the tester. With hands on top of each other and palms facing down, the subject reaches forward along the measuring line as far as possible. After three practice reaches, the fourth reach is held for at least two seconds while the distance is recorded. Make sure there is no jerky movements, and that the fingertips remain level and the legs flat.
Scoring: The score is recorded to the nearest centimeter as the distance before (negative) or beyond (positive) the toes. The procedures for the Presidents Challenge require that the box is made with 23 centimeters at the level of the feet, so 10 cm past the toes is recorded as 33 cm. The table below gives you a guide for expected scores (in cm) for adults using zero at the level of the feet (add 23 if using the other method).
|
men |
women |
super |
> +27 |
> +30 |
excellent |
+17 to +27 |
+21 to +30 |
good |
+6 to +16 |
+11 to +20 |
average |
0 to +5 |
+1 to +10 |
fair |
-8 to -1 |
-7 to 0 |
poor |
-19 to -9 |
-14 to -8 |
very poor |
< -20 |
< -15 |
Source: http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/sit&reach.htm