Tool

30-Second Chair Stand: A Home Leg-Strength Check

What it does

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.

Before you start, all of these must be trueI have a sturdy straight-backed chair with no arms, about 17 inches high, and I can put it against a wall so it cannot slide.I do not have chest pain, dizziness, or a new symptom today, and I have not been told to avoid standing up repeatedly.

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.

About the evidence on this page

Review status: Claims source-checked
Last updated: September 21, 2026
Claims source-checked: September 21, 2026
Clinician review: 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.

Sources

STEADI Assessment: 30-Second Chair Stand, CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2017)
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2018)
WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, World Health Organization (2020)

Limitations

A screening number, not a diagnosis.
CDC's reference numbers start at age 60.
We did not review the studies behind CDC's reference numbers.
Talk with a clinician if you have a health condition, symptoms, or restrictions.

Update history

September 21, 2026: First version published.

How Fit after 50 evaluates evidence