30-second chair stand test: norms by age and sex
How many times can you stand up from a chair in 30 seconds? Here is how to do this well-known test at home, how to count, and how many stands people your age usually do.
What the test is
The 30-second chair stand test, also called the 30-second sit-to-stand test, counts how many times you stand up fully from a chair in 30 seconds, arms crossed. It was developed by Jones, Rikli and Beam in 1999.
It measures leg strength and endurance: the kind you need to climb stairs, get out of an armchair or carry groceries.
How to do the test at home
- Use a sturdy chair without armrests, with a seat about 17 inches (43 cm) high, the height used in the study. Put it against a wall so it cannot slide.
- Sit in the middle of the seat, back straight, feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
- Cross your arms over your chest.
- On "go", stand up fully, legs straight, then sit back down fully. Repeat as many times as you can in 30 seconds.
If you have pain, a recent injury or any doubt, ask a health professional before doing the test. Stop if it hurts or if you feel dizzy.
How to count your stands
Count every full stand: you must be upright, legs straight, before sitting back down. If you are more than halfway up when the 30 seconds end, that last stand counts too.
If you need your arms to stand up, the test stops there: under the protocol, the score is then 0.
| Age | Women | Men | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle | Top 25% | Middle | Top 25% | |
| 40 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 22 |
| 45 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 21 |
| 50 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 20 |
| 55 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 20 |
| 60 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 19 |
| 65 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 18 |
| 70 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 17 |
| 75 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 17 |
| 80 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 16 |
Middle: half of people this age and sex score lower, half score higher. Top 25%: the result from which you do better than about three people in four.
Based on Barros-Poblete and colleagues (2025) up to age 50 and Rikli and Jones (1999) from age 60, with a gradual transition in between.
Where do you stand?
The calculation runs in your browser: nothing is sent. This is not medical advice.
What your count says, and what it does not
The number of stands drops slowly with age, then faster after 60. Rikli and Jones published the usual values for ages 60 to 94 in 1999, and a 2025 Chilean study those for adults aged 18 to 80. Health professionals use this test to spot declining leg strength, especially after 60.
The result also depends on your chair height, how tired you are and how you count. A low score does not diagnose anything. Mostly it says that leg strength needs work, and it is one of the abilities that responds best to training.
The test in BodyYears
In BodyYears, your iPhone camera counts every stand for you while you focus on the movement. Images are never recorded or sent. Together with the floor test and one-leg balance, this count gives your body age. The method explains the whole calculation.
Sources
- Jones CJ, Rikli RE, Beam WC. A 30-s chair-stand test as a measure of lower body strength in community-residing older adults. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 1999.
- Rikli RE, Jones CJ. Functional fitness normative scores for community-residing older adults, ages 60-94. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 1999.
- Barros-Poblete M, Torres-Castro R et al. 30 Seconds Sit-to-Stand Test: reference values for the Chilean population. Revista Médica de Chile, 2025.