Key points
- The 30-Second Chair Stand (CDC STEADI) counts full stands from an armless chair in 30 seconds, arms crossed; it tests leg strength and endurance.
- More than halfway up at 30 seconds counts as a stand; needing the arms to stand ends the test with a score of 0.
- Below-average scores (a fall-risk indicator per STEADI) are age- and sex-specific — e.g. fewer than 12 stands for men and 10 for women aged 70–74.
A one-chair test of leg strength and endurance
Rising from a chair is something patients do dozens of times a day, and difficulty with it is often one of the first signs of declining lower-body function. The 30-Second Chair Stand turns that everyday movement into a standardized measure. It's part of the CDC's STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) fall-prevention toolkit, which describes its purpose simply: to test leg strength and endurance.
It needs only a straight-backed chair without armrests (the STEADI sheet specifies a 17-inch seat height) and a stopwatch.
How the test is performed
Per the STEADI assessment sheet, the patient:
- Sits in the middle of the chair.
- Crosses their hands at the wrists and places them on the opposite shoulders.
- Keeps their feet flat on the floor and back straight, with arms against the chest.
- On "Go," rises to a full standing position, then sits back down — repeating for 30 seconds.
The clinician stands next to the patient for safety, starts timing on "Go," and counts the number of full stands in 30 seconds. Two scoring rules matter:
- If the patient is more than halfway to standing when 30 seconds elapse, that counts as a stand.
- If the patient must use their arms to stand, the test stops and the score is recorded as 0.
Below-average scores by age and sex
STEADI lists the following as below-average scores — and notes that a below-average score indicates a risk for falls:
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 60–64 | < 14 | < 12 |
| 65–69 | < 12 | < 11 |
| 70–74 | < 12 | < 10 |
| 75–79 | < 11 | < 10 |
| 80–84 | < 10 | < 9 |
| 85–89 | < 8 | < 8 |
| 90–94 | < 7 | < 4 |
These values, alongside cited norms for gait speed, the Timed Up and Go and the Five-Times Sit-to-Stand, are compiled in our functional test reference values.
30 seconds or five repetitions?
The 30-Second Chair Stand counts repetitions in a fixed time; the Five-Times Sit-to-Stand times a fixed number of repetitions. Both draw on the same movement, and both are widely used. The fixed-time version can be easier to complete for patients who would struggle to finish five stands, while the five-repetition version yields a time that some clinicians prefer for tracking. We cover the movement itself in more depth in sit-to-stand: a window into lower-limb function.
What the count leaves out
A stand count is a strong, simple number, but two patients with the same score can move very differently. One may rise smoothly and symmetrically; another may shift weight to one leg, lean far forward, or slow sharply in the last ten seconds. Those patterns — asymmetry, trunk lean, fatigue across repetitions — can help explain a score and guide the plan of care. Capturing the test the same way at each visit makes them visible and comparable over time.
Keeping it in context
The 30-Second Chair Stand is a screen, not a diagnosis. STEADI pairs it with other assessments, such as the Timed Up and Go and the 4-Stage Balance Test, plus a review of history, medications and environment. Objective, consistent measurement supports that picture; interpreting it remains a matter of clinical judgment.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. STEADI Assessment: 30-Second Chair Stand. 2017. cdc.gov/steadi