How to use the 30-second chair stand comparison
Sit in a chair without armrests, cross your arms over your chest, and count how many times you come to a full stand and sit back down in 30 seconds. Enter that count and the tool compares it with the reference for your age and sex, showing whether it falls below and by how many repetitions. If the person is more than halfway up when the 30 seconds elapse, that repetition counts. If the arms are needed to push up from the seat, the test is stopped and no count is recorded.
The reference counts come from the 30-second chair stand used in the fall prevention initiative of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covering ages 60 to 94, as checked in October 2026. A count below the listed value is read as below average for that age and sex, but the agency does not treat any single test as enough to establish fall risk. This page therefore assigns no score and no tier, and only states how the count compares.
A fall can happen during the test itself. Put the chair with its back against a wall so it cannot slide, use a flat floor without a loose rug or mat, and have someone standing beside the person ready to steady them. Stop and sit down immediately if there is dizziness or a feeling that the legs are giving way.
This comparison is not a medical assessment. If there has been a fall in the past year, if balance wavers while walking, if there is dizziness, blurred vision or numb feet, or if the person feels unsteady after a medication change, ask a clinician for a fall risk evaluation regardless of the count.
Frequently Asked Questions
It cannot be read that way. Below the reference means lower leg strength than average for that age and sex. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not treat this test alone as sufficient and pairs it with balance and walking tests plus a review of medications and past falls.
The test is stopped. No count is recorded, and that fact itself is worth telling a clinician. Enter only full stands completed without pushing off with the arms.
The published reference counts run from age 60 through 94. Outside that range there is no value to compare against, so the tool shows a notice instead of a result.