Count how many times you can stand up from a chair in 30 seconds and see where your count falls against CDC's reference numbers for adults 60 and over. It is a screening number, not a diagnosis. If you save it, Fit after 50 can choose a fitting daily step and remind you when a retest is due.
If either is not true today, please do not do this check. A clinician or physical therapist can assess your leg strength safely.
Read this first
CDC designed this test for clinicians to use with patients. This is a self-guided version with extra safety steps. If you cannot do it safely, do not do it.
CDC lists below-average counts by age and sex from 60 to 94, and says a below-average score indicates a risk for falls. There are no CDC reference numbers under 60, so we show your count only.
A below-reference count is not a diagnosis. It is a reason to practice leg strength and to talk with a clinician or physical therapist.
CDC gives no retest interval. If you are practicing, about four weeks is our own suggestion.
None recorded. No physician or other licensed clinician has reviewed this page.
The protocol and every reference number were read from CDC's STEADI document. This is a self-guided adaptation of a clinician-administered test, and no clinician has reviewed the adaptation. The checks were prepared with AI assistance and the ratings are proposed, pending confirmation by a person.
Claims we checked
Moderate evidenceCDC's STEADI 30-Second Chair Stand lists below-average scores by age and sex for adults 60 to 94, and says a below-average score indicates a risk for falls.Supportive guidance exists, with more limits or less consistency than a strong rating.This rating is proposed, pending confirmation by a person.Limits: We checked what CDC's document says. We did not review the studies behind the reference numbers. CDC designed the test for clinicians to use with patients. Fit after 50 offers a self-guided version with extra safety steps. It does not diagnose anything, and the reference numbers start at age 60.
Strong evidenceGuidelines support muscle-strengthening activity for adults, including older adults.Consistent support from authoritative guidelines for the narrow claim made here.Limits: A chair-based set is a low-volume option, not a universal prescription. Stop for pain or loss of balance.
