Walk · sit-to-stand · balance

The five-minute check. Three standard tests, one summary.

A timed 4-metre walk, the CDC 30-second chair stand and the CDC 4-stage balance test, one after the other. The testing takes about five minutes once the course is marked. The summary stays in this browser. No account. Nothing is uploaded.

Have someone stand next to you. For the sit-to-stand and the balance positions, a second person stands right beside you, ready to steady you, as CDC asks of a clinician giving these tests. Use a sturdy chair with no arms, its back against a wall. Stop if you feel dizzy, short of breath or in pain. If you cannot stand safely without help, skip those two tests and ask your clinician to do them with you.
Before you start · optional

Age and sex, for the sit-to-stand line

CDC publishes the chair-stand line for men and women aged 60 to 94. Leave these blank and the count is still shown, without a line. They stay on this device.

Sex
Test 1 of 3 · about a minute

The timed 4-metre walk

Mark 1 metre to get going, 4 metres timed, 1 metre to slow down. Walk at your usual pace with your usual walking aid. The helper taps Start at the first footfall past the start line and Stop at the first footfall past the 4-metre line. Do it twice; the faster counts. The same steps as the speed log.

0.00 s
    Test 2 of 3 · 30 seconds

    The 30-second chair stand

    Sit in the middle of the chair, feet flat, arms crossed at the wrists against your chest. On Go, stand all the way up, then sit back down, as many times as you can in 30 seconds. The helper taps once for each full stand. A stand more than halfway up when time runs out counts. If you have to use your arms to stand, stop: CDC records that as 0. (To have the phone count instead, use the sit-to-stand page.)

    30.0 s
    Test 3 of 3 · up to 40 seconds

    The 4-stage balance test

    Four positions, each a little harder. Hold each for 10 seconds. You can hold your arms out or move your body to keep your balance, but do not move your feet. No cane or walker, eyes open, the helper right beside you. If a position is not held for 10 seconds, the test stops there.

    Position 1 of 4

    0.0 s
      Your summary · kept in this browser only

      What the three tests showed

      Do any of the three tests above, then make the summary. Each line names the published line it is read against.

        This is a screen, not a diagnosis; your clinician decides. A line crossed here is a reason to bring the numbers to a clinician, who can repeat the tests properly and look at the whole picture: medicines, vision, feet, the home. A result above every line does not rule out a fall risk.

        Kept in this browser only

        Earlier five-minute checks

        Each summary stays in this browser on healthgait.com. It is not sent anywhere and clearing this site's data erases it. Delete any one below.

        None yet.

        Get care promptly: a fall with injury, a sudden change in how someone walks or stands, new weakness or numbness on one side, chest pain, or dizziness or fainting. Call 911 for an emergency. If you or the person you care for is in emotional crisis, call or text 988.
        1. CDC STEADI. Assessment: The 4-Stage Balance Test. Four positions, 10 seconds each; an older adult who cannot hold the tandem stand for at least 10 seconds is at increased risk of falling. PDF (checked 2026-10-22)
        2. CDC STEADI. Assessment: 30-Second Chair Stand (2017). Below-average scores, 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. A below average score indicates a risk for falls. PDF (checked 2026-10-22)
        3. Rikli RE, Jones CJ. Functional fitness normative scores for community-residing older adults, ages 60-94. J Aging Phys Act 1999 (the norms behind CDC's chair-stand table).
        4. BC Guidelines. Frailty in Older Adults: Gait Speed Test (4-metre), 2017: slower than 0.8 m/s (more than 5 seconds for 4 metres) is flagged for clinical review. PDF (checked 2026-09-29)
        5. NIA Short Physical Performance Battery: two usual-pace walks, the faster counts. Score tool (checked 2026-09-29)

        Every number on this site and where it comes from: the sources page.