Five Times Sit to Stand (5xSTS)

The 5xSTS times how fast someone can stand up from a chair and sit back down five times with arms folded. It reflects leg strength and transfer skill and is highly recommended by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy for Parkinson’s disease. It takes under 5 minutes and needs only a standard chair and this timer.

How to give the test

1. Use a free-standing chair with a backrest, about 17 to 18 inches (43 to 45 cm) high. Use the same chair each time.
2. Have the person sit with their back against the chair, feet comfortably under them, and arms folded across the chest. After a stroke, the affected arm may rest at the side or in a sling.
3. Say: “I want you to stand up and sit down 5 times as quickly as you can when I say ‘Go.’” They should stand up fully each time.
4. Allow one practice try (or demonstrate and let them do two repetitions if fatigue is a concern).
5. Start timing at “Go” and stop when they sit down after the 5th stand. Try not to talk during the test.
6. If they can’t complete five stands without help or using their arms, the test is not completed. Note any changes you made.

This is a measurement, not a diagnosis. The 5xSTS shows how quickly someone can stand up and sit down. It can’t tell you why it is slow or what treatment is needed. Only a licensed health care provider who examines the person can do that.

Reading the result

Lower is better. Cut-off values from published studies (as listed by the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab):

• Older adults: 12 seconds or more suggests a fuller fall-risk assessment is needed (Tiedemann et al., 2008); more than 15 seconds predicted recurrent falls (Buatois et al., 2008).
• Parkinson’s disease: more than 16 seconds identified people at risk of falls (Duncan et al., 2011).
• Balance or vestibular disorders: times above 14.2 seconds (over age 60) or 10 seconds (under 60) pointed to balance problems (Whitney et al., 2005). A change of 2.3 seconds or more is meaningful (Meretta et al., 2006).