Sit-and-Reach
Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means
The sit-and-reach test assesses forward-reach flexibility, influenced mainly by hamstring and lower-back mobility. The subject sits on the floor with legs extended, feet flat against a test box, and reaches forward along its scale. Adult norms (ages 20-69) are from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (n=5,188). Youth norms (ages 9-17) are from the Tomkinson 2018 Eurofit meta-analysis (n=464,807 across 27 European countries). The studies use different populations and test implementations. The gap between ages 17 and 20 marks a source boundary, not a measured biological break, and scores should not be compared directly across it. Watch video demonstration
Data source: Hoffmann et al. (CHMS) About this study
Data source: Tomkinson et al. (Eurofit) About this study
Reference population: Hoffmann et al. (CHMS): Canadian adults aged 20-69, nationally representative (Canadian Health Measures Survey cycle 5, 2016-2017)
Reference population: Tomkinson et al. (Eurofit): Children and adolescents aged 9-17 from 30 European countries (n up to 2,779,165 across all tests)
Sit-and-Reach Norms Chart by Age and Sex (cm)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 9 | Male | 6.4 | 13.9 | 20.1 | 26.0 | 33.6 |
| Female | 9.3 | 17.1 | 23.5 | 29.6 | 37.3 | |
| 10 | Male | 6.3 | 13.7 | 19.8 | 25.7 | 33.2 |
| Female | 9.4 | 17.2 | 23.8 | 29.9 | 37.8 | |
| 11 | Male | 5.8 | 13.1 | 19.0 | 24.5 | 31.9 |
| Female | 9.6 | 17.5 | 24.2 | 30.4 | 38.5 | |
| 12 | Male | 4.8 | 12.0 | 17.8 | 23.3 | 30.4 |
| Female | 9.9 | 17.9 | 24.7 | 31.1 | 39.4 | |
| 13 | Male | 3.7 | 10.9 | 16.6 | 22.0 | 29.0 |
| Female | 10.4 | 18.5 | 25.4 | 31.9 | 40.3 | |
| 14 | Male | 3.1 | 10.4 | 16.1 | 21.5 | 28.4 |
| Female | 10.9 | 19.2 | 26.1 | 32.7 | 41.3 | |
| 15 | Male | 3.0 | 10.4 | 16.1 | 21.5 | 28.3 |
| Female | 11.3 | 19.7 | 26.7 | 33.4 | 42.0 | |
| 16 | Male | 3.1 | 10.6 | 16.3 | 21.7 | 28.6 |
| Female | 11.5 | 20.0 | 27.1 | 33.9 | 42.6 | |
| 17 | Male | 3.4 | 10.9 | 16.7 | 22.1 | 29.1 |
| Female | 11.7 | 20.2 | 27.4 | 34.3 | 43.1 | |
| 20-24 | Male | 8.9 | 15.5 | 24.6 | 33.5 | 39.9 |
| Female | 14.4 | 22.9 | 31.1 | 38.8 | 45.7 | |
| 25-29 | Male | 8.8 | 15.4 | 24.5 | 33.4 | 39.7 |
| Female | 14.1 | 22.5 | 31.1 | 39.1 | 45.8 | |
| 30-34 | Male | 8.7 | 15.3 | 24.2 | 32.9 | 39.3 |
| Female | 13.8 | 22.0 | 31.0 | 39.3 | 45.7 | |
| 35-39 | Male | 8.6 | 15.1 | 23.8 | 32.3 | 38.6 |
| Female | 13.5 | 21.4 | 30.7 | 39.2 | 45.4 | |
| 40-44 | Male | 8.4 | 14.9 | 23.3 | 31.6 | 37.8 |
| Female | 13.0 | 20.8 | 30.2 | 38.8 | 44.8 | |
| 45-49 | Male | 8.2 | 14.6 | 22.7 | 30.7 | 36.9 |
| Female | 12.5 | 20.1 | 29.6 | 38.3 | 44.1 | |
| 50-54 | Male | 8.0 | 14.3 | 22.1 | 29.8 | 36.0 |
| Female | 12.0 | 19.6 | 29.1 | 37.8 | 43.5 | |
| 55-59 | Male | 7.8 | 14.0 | 21.5 | 28.9 | 35.1 |
| Female | 11.6 | 19.2 | 28.8 | 37.5 | 43.2 | |
| 60-64 | Male | 7.6 | 13.7 | 20.9 | 28.0 | 34.1 |
| Female | 11.3 | 19.1 | 28.8 | 37.6 | 43.4 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 7.4 | 13.4 | 20.3 | 27.1 | 33.1 |
| Female | 11.1 | 19.0 | 28.9 | 37.7 | 43.8 | |
What to expect by age group
Among adults in their 30s, the middle 50% score roughly 15 to 33 cm for men and 22 to 39 cm for women. Scores decline gradually with age in both sexes, and women are considerably more flexible than men at every age. Scores below 15 cm (men) or 22 cm (women) are typically below average for this age group; scores above 33 cm (men) or 39 cm (women) are above average.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 13.9 to 26.0 | 17.1 to 29.6 |
| 10 | 13.7 to 25.7 | 17.2 to 29.9 |
| 11 | 13.1 to 24.5 | 17.5 to 30.4 |
| 12 | 12.0 to 23.3 | 17.9 to 31.1 |
| 13 | 10.9 to 22.0 | 18.5 to 31.9 |
| 14 | 10.4 to 21.5 | 19.2 to 32.7 |
| 15 | 10.4 to 21.5 | 19.7 to 33.4 |
| 16 | 10.6 to 21.7 | 20.0 to 33.9 |
| 17 | 10.9 to 22.1 | 20.2 to 34.3 |
| 20-24 | 15.5 to 33.5 | 22.9 to 38.8 |
| 25-29 | 15.4 to 33.4 | 22.5 to 39.1 |
| 30-34 | 15.3 to 32.9 | 22.0 to 39.3 |
| 35-39 | 15.1 to 32.3 | 21.4 to 39.2 |
| 40-44 | 14.9 to 31.6 | 20.8 to 38.8 |
| 45-49 | 14.6 to 30.7 | 20.1 to 38.3 |
| 50-54 | 14.3 to 29.8 | 19.6 to 37.8 |
| 55-59 | 14.0 to 28.9 | 19.2 to 37.5 |
| 60-64 | 13.7 to 28.0 | 19.1 to 37.6 |
| 65-69 | 13.4 to 27.1 | 19.0 to 37.7 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the sit-and-reach test measure?
The sit-and-reach test measures hamstring and lower back flexibility. It is included in several major fitness testing batteries, including the CSEP and ACSM protocols.
How were adults tested?
The Canadian adult source used the CSEP protocol: sit with both legs extended and the feet against a flexometer, keep the knees straight, and reach forward along the scale. The better of two trials is recorded. The youth values pool Eurofit implementations, so this page does not present one protocol as interchangeable across both sources.
Why are the P25 and P75 values approximate?
The source study (CHMS) reports percentiles at P5, P10, P20, P30, P40, P50, P60, P70, P80, P90, and P95, but not P25 or P75 directly. We use the reported P20 as a proxy for P25 and P80 as a proxy for P75. This is a 5-percentile-point approximation.
Why do women score higher than men?
Women score higher than men in every age group in both source series. These cross-sectional reference values describe that pattern without identifying an explanation for it.
Why are there no norms for ages 70 and above?
The Canadian Health Measures Survey physical fitness testing covers ages 20-69 only. No peer-reviewed sit-and-reach norms exist for adults aged 70+. For older adults, the Chair Sit-and-Reach test (a modified version performed while seated) is more commonly used, but it uses a different protocol and scale.
Why do norms for ages 9-17 come from a different source?
Youth norms use the Tomkinson 2018 Eurofit meta-analysis (n=464,807), which pooled data from 27 European countries using the standard Eurofit sit-and-reach protocol. Adult norms use the Canadian Health Measures Survey (n=5,188). These are different populations tested under slightly different conditions, so they should not be directly compared. The trend chart shows both series with a visible gap at the source boundary (ages 17 to 20).
Why are P25 and P75 approximate for youth norms?
The Tomkinson 2018 study reports percentiles at P20, P30, P70, and P80, but not P25 or P75. We interpolate: P25 = (P20 + P30) / 2 and P75 = (P70 + P80) / 2. These are estimates, not source-reported values.
Related Metrics
Eurofit Battery
This metric is part of the Eurofit, a standardised 9-test battery for children and adolescents aged 6-18.