Hoffmann et al. (CHMS)
About this reference
The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) is a nationally representative survey conducted by Statistics Canada. Cycle 5 (2016-2017) included physical fitness testing at mobile examination centres. The sit-and-reach test followed the CSEP (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology) protocol: subject sits on the floor with legs extended and feet flat against the flexometer box, then reaches forward as far as possible. The farthest point reached (in cm) is recorded from two trials. Percentile tables are provided by 5-year age group and sex for ages 20-69.
Known limitations
- Based on a Canadian sample — may not generalise to all populations
- No data available for adults aged 70 and above
- Two-trial protocol — some studies use three trials, which may yield slightly higher scores
- Sit-and-reach primarily measures hamstring flexibility and may not reflect whole-body flexibility
- P25 and P75 are approximated using the reported P20 and P80 values (a 5-percentile-point substitution)