How come it's easier for me to reach my back with my left hand (for example, to scratch a rather inaccessible area) than with my right hand?

When you reach with either arm, do you go from the back or from over your shoulder?

I’m the same way, only the opposite. I am a lefty and can reach farther with my right arm than my left. Strange…hmmm.

Maybe it has to do with which hand you use more… I mean, I can reach farther with my left hand and I’m right handed. I think we’re onto something, @Coloma!

I just tried, even reach with both . . . wierdos ;)

The muscles of the arm of the dominant hand are larger than the other side, and the wrist is also bigger. Check it out with a tape measure.

Haha….well…looks like we’re just freaks then, right @troubleinharlem ? ;-)

So @mrrich724 Should we call you Mr. Reach? lol

Over the shoulder is equal, but, from the back, my left arm WILL NOT go up even half as far, hardly at all.

How bizarre!

@Coloma : Because I can reach farther with my left arm from going around the back, but with my right arm I have to go from my shoulder, which doesn’t make any sense.

Ever since I started taking yoga I’ve noticed that my body is not at all symmetrical in what I’m capable of doing. Some stretches are incredibly difficult with one side of my body, and easier with the other. It’s strange! I think I’ve developed little habits where I sit a certain unsymmetrical way or favor one side over the other, and little things like that performed daily add up to make one side less flexible.

@Mariah

That makes a lot of sense. sitting up straight right now. lol

Like @Mariah said, our bodies are not symmetrical in their capabilities. And more than that, our bodies are not even symmetrical in their construction. This means that all sorts of things will be easier to do with one side of the body rather than the other, though it is not always the case that it’s the same side having an easier time of things.

So it may be that your left arm is more flexible, longer, or both. You can use a tape measure to figure out the length of each arm. If they’re the same, or if your left arm is actually shorter than the right, then you’ll know that it’s a flexibility issue.

@troubleinharlem I find that reaching up my back is harder with my right arm than my left. It’s rather easy with my left, but with my right arm I have to strain and it feels tight. I’ve been trying to train to use my right arm more, stretching it more, to increase its flexibility.

You should try some Yoga or some stretching and get that balanced out!

There is an actual Yoga exercise to correct this.
You stretch your arms out across you back and grab hands.