What everyday capability means
It is doing what you want to do without a struggle: standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, stepping onto a curb, carrying groceries, getting in and out of the bathtub. It is built from leg strength, balance, and a home that helps rather than trips you.
Four things CDC says you can do
- Speak up. Talk openly with your healthcare provider about fall risks and prevention, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your medicines.
- Keep moving. Begin an exercise program to improve your leg strength and balance.
- Get an annual eye exam, and replace eyeglasses as needed.
- Make your home safer. Remove clutter and tripping hazards.
Check where you are
CDC publishes tools that clinicians use. Fit after 50 offers self-guided versions with extra safety steps. Each is a screening result, not a diagnosis, and each says where it stops.
- Fall-Risk Checklist: CDC's 12 statements. A score of 4 or more may mean a risk for falling, and CDC says to discuss it with your doctor. Nothing is stored.
- 30-Second Chair Stand: a leg-strength check with CDC's reference numbers for ages 60 and over.
- 4-Stage Balance Check: needs a helper and a sturdy counter. Not for anyone who has fallen in the past year or feels unsteady.
Make your home safer
The first step below is the same one Fit after 50 members can be given, and the two after it build leg strength and balance. CDC's Check for Safety checklist lists common hazards on stairs, floors, in the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms, with a fix for each. Fixing one is a real start, and it is fine to ask someone to help.
Find and fix one home hazard
About 10 minutes · Easy. Ask for help with anything heavy or high.
Walk through one room with the CDC home checklist in mind, pick one hazard, and fix it or ask someone to help you fix it.
- How to start
- Pick one room. Look at the floor and the lighting first: clear a cord, remove a loose rug, or put a light where you need one.
- You will need
- A room you can walk through, and the free Home Safety Checklist.
- How hard
- Easy. Ask for help with anything heavy or high.
- Done when
- You fixed one hazard, or you asked someone to help you fix it.
Safety: Do not climb, reach, or lift anything that feels unsafe. Ask someone to help with stairs, ladders, or electrical work.
Evidence strength: moderate. General information, not medical advice.
Learn more: Home Safety Checklist
Do one comfortable chair-strength set
About 5 minutes · Easy to moderate. It should never feel painful or unsteady.
From a stable chair, try up to five comfortable sit-to-stands, using the chair arms if helpful.
- You will need
- A sturdy chair that will not slide, placed against a wall.
- How hard
- Easy to moderate. It should never feel painful or unsteady.
- Done when
- You did up to five comfortable stands, or as many as felt fine.
- Sit toward the front of the chair, feet flat.
- Lean slightly forward and stand up, using the arms of the chair if helpful.
- Sit back down slowly.
- Repeat up to five times, resting whenever you like.
Safety: Use a chair that will not slide and keep support nearby. Stop for pain or loss of balance.
Evidence strength: strong. General information, not medical advice.
Learn more: Beginner's guide to getting fit after 50
Practice five minutes of supported balance
About 5 minutes · Easy. Keep a hand on the counter the whole time.
Stand beside a stable counter or chair and practice comfortable weight shifts with support within reach.
- You will need
- A stable kitchen counter or sturdy chair to hold, and a clear floor.
- How hard
- Easy. Keep a hand on the counter the whole time.
- Done when
- You practiced shifting your weight for a few minutes, with support in reach.
- Stand beside the counter with one hand resting on it.
- Slowly shift your weight onto one foot, then back to the middle.
- Slowly shift your weight onto the other foot.
- Keep going at a calm pace for about five minutes, resting whenever you like.
Safety: Keep stable support within reach. Do not attempt this if standing balance is unsafe for you.
Evidence strength: strong. General information, not medical advice.
Learn more: Fitness after 50
Build leg strength and balance
Leg strength and balance work well together. Two guides show comfortable ways to start at home: strength with a sturdy chair, and supported balance beside a counter.
When to talk with a clinician or physical therapist
A physical therapist can assess your balance and build a safe program for you.
- You have fallen, or you feel unsteady or dizzy.
- You need to push with your hands to stand up from a chair.
- Your checklist score is 4 or more, or your tandem stand is under 10 seconds.
- You have lost some feeling in your feet, or your medicines make you light-headed.
What this does not tell you
It cannot tell you whether you will fall, and none of the checks is a diagnosis. We checked what CDC's documents say. We did not review the studies behind their reference numbers, and no clinician has reviewed this page.