30-Second Chair Stand

Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means

The 30-second chair stand test assesses lower-body strength as the number of times a person can rise from a seated position in 30 seconds. It is part of the Senior Fitness Test battery (Rikli & Jones 1999, n=7,183 US community-dwelling adults aged 60-94). Percentile curves (P5-P95) are from the Senior Fitness Test Manual, 2nd edition (2013), modelled from the same sample. Note: this data is based on a US sample. A German study (Albrecht et al. 2021, n=1,657, ages 65-75) found lower scores in comparable age groups. Watch video demonstration

How to Perform This Test (Protocol)

30-Second Chair Stand protocol, illustrated: equipment, steps and scoring.
Equipment
  • Straight-back or folding chair with a 17-inch (43 cm) seat, placed against a wall to prevent slipping
  • Stopwatch
Protocol Steps
  1. Sit in the middle of the chair, back straight, feet flat on the floor, arms crossed at the wrists and held against the chest.
  2. Demonstrate the test slowly to show proper form, then at a faster pace to show the aim is to do as many as safely possible.
  3. Complete one or two practice stands.
  4. On 'go', rise to a full stand, then return to a fully seated position.
  5. Repeat as many full stands as possible in 30 seconds.
Scoring

The score is the total number of stands completed in 30 seconds. A stand counts if the participant is more than halfway up when the 30 seconds end. Administer one test trial.

Notes

If a participant cannot complete even one stand with arms crossed and instead uses their hands, a cane or walker, or a different seat height, the manual records the score as zero for comparison with these norms. Brace the chair and watch for balance problems. The manual notes the test may be contraindicated for people with chronic pain, and for tall people with a knee or hip replacement, because a 17-inch seat can bend the hips and knees past 90 degrees.

Data source: Rikli & Jones (SFT) (1999) · n=7.2K About this study

Reference population: Community-dwelling older adults aged 60-94 from 267 sites across 21 US states

30-Second Chair Stand Functional Fitness

30-Second Chair Stand Norms Chart by Age and Sex (reps)

Age Sex Percentile
5th 25th 50th 75th 95th
60-64 Male 9 14 16 19 23
Female 8 12 15 17 21
65-69 Male 8 12 15 18 23
Female 8 11 14 16 19
70-74 Male 8 12 14 17 21
Female 7 10 13 15 19
75-79 Male 7 11 14 17 21
Female 6 10 12 15 19
80-84 Male 6 10 12 15 19
Female 4 9 11 14 18
85-89 Male 4 8 11 14 19
Female 4 8 10 13 17
90-94 Male 3 7 10 12 16
Female 0 4 8 11 16

What to expect by age group

Among adults aged 60 to 64, the middle 50% complete 14 to 19 stands for men and 12 to 17 stands for women. The female median falls in every 5-year bracket. The male median falls in all but one, holding at 14 from 70-74 to 75-79. The steepest drop comes at 80-84 for men and at 90-94 for women. The male median is 1 to 2 stands higher than the female median in every bracket. Scores below 14 reps (men) or 12 reps (women) are typically below average for this age group; scores above 19 reps (men) or 17 reps (women) are above average.

Typical range (25th to 75th percentile) by age group (reps)
Age MalesFemales
60-64 14 to 1912 to 17
65-69 12 to 1811 to 16
70-74 12 to 1710 to 15
75-79 11 to 1710 to 15
80-84 10 to 159 to 14
85-89 8 to 148 to 13
90-94 7 to 124 to 11

Detailed Breakdowns

Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.

Males
60-6465-6970-7475-7980-8485-8990-94
Females
60-6465-6970-7475-7980-8485-8990-94
Age trend (percentiles)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 30-second chair stand test measure?

Lower-body strength, assessed as the number of correctly completed stands in 30 seconds. This page compares that count with the Senior Fitness Test reference population.

What is the protocol for the 30-second chair stand test?

The full step-by-step protocol is detailed in the 'How to Perform This Test (Protocol)' section above.

Why does this metric only cover ages 60-94?

The Senior Fitness Test was designed for older adults. The normative data (Rikli & Jones, n=7,183) was collected from community-dwelling adults aged 60-94. The largest younger-adult norms study we identified, Lein et al. 2022 (DOI, n=81, ages 19-35), is too small for reliable percentile tables.

Where do the percentile values come from?

The percentile curves come from the Senior Fitness Test Manual (Rikli & Jones 2013, 2nd ed., ISBN 978-1-4504-1118-9), which models P5 through P95 from the original sample of 7,183 community-dwelling US adults aged 60-94 (Rikli & Jones 1999, DOI). All five percentiles we display (P5, P25, P50, P75, P95) come directly from the source, no approximation is needed.

Can younger adults use this test?

The test can be performed by anyone, but without normative data there is no reference range to compare against. A small study, Lein et al. 2022 (DOI, n=81, ages 19-35), found a mean of 33.0 ± 5.4 reps, but this sample is too small for reliable percentiles.

How do these norms compare to other countries?

A German study (Albrecht et al. 2021, DOI, n=1,657, ages 65-75) reported 30-second chair stand norms lower than most other published values, including these US norms, and suggested differences in body weight as one possible explanation. A Hong Kong study (Chung et al. 2016, DOI, n=944, ages 65-74) published separate Senior Fitness Test norms for that population. Performance differs by population; these norms are based on US community-dwelling older adults.

Related Metrics

Senior Fitness Test Battery

This metric is part of the Senior Fitness Test, a validated 7-test battery for adults aged 60-94.