Influence of gender and age on the behind-the-back reach test

The behind-the-back reach test is a reproducible and reliable physical fitness test for musculoskeletal extensibility of the upper extremities, shoulder girdles, and upper back. Requiring only a rigid ruler and marking pen, administration of this test can be learned easily both by medical and nonmedical personnel. Normative data derived from a study of healthy subjects of different ages demonstrated that extensibility decreases with age. Moreover, musculoskeletal extensibility for women was significantly greater than that for men. The test results were not influenced significantly by anthropometric measurements.