2-Minute Step Test

Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means

The 2-minute step test measures aerobic endurance, the number of times a person can step in place (raising each knee to a point midway between the patella and iliac crest) in two minutes. 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. The manual presents it as an alternative to the 6-minute walk test when space for a walking course is unavailable. Watch video demonstration

How to Perform This Test (Protocol)

Equipment
  • Tape or cord to mark target height on a wall
  • Stopwatch
Protocol Steps
  1. Measure the participant's individual target height halfway between the patella and iliac crest, then mark that height on a wall or post.
  2. On 'Go', the participant marches in place, beginning with the right leg and raising each knee to the marked height.
  3. Count only the times the right knee reaches the target. If the participant can no longer maintain the height, ask them to slow down or rest and resume; the 2-minute clock continues.
  4. Stop after 2 minutes.
Scoring

Count the number of times the right knee reaches the target height in 2 minutes.

Notes

Space-saving alternative to the 6-minute walk. Used when an indoor walking course is unavailable.

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

2-Minute Step Test Functional Fitness

2-Minute Step Test Norms Chart by Age and Sex (steps)

Age Sex Percentile
5th 25th 50th 75th 95th
60-64 Male 67 87 101 115 135
Female 52 75 91 107 130
65-69 Male 67 86 101 116 139
Female 47 73 90 107 133
70-74 Male 67 80 95 110 133
Female 43 67 84 101 125
75-79 Male 47 73 91 109 135
Female 45 68 84 100 123
80-84 Male 48 71 87 103 126
Female 37 60 75 90 113
85-89 Male 36 59 75 91 114
Female 39 55 70 85 106
90-94 Male 26 52 69 86 112
Female 24 44 58 72 92

What to expect by age group

Among adults aged 60 to 64, the middle 50% complete 87 to 115 steps for men and 75 to 107 steps for women. Step count declines overall across the age brackets; men complete about 10 more steps than women on average. Scores below 87 steps (men) or 75 steps (women) are typically below average for this age group; scores above 115 steps (men) or 107 steps (women) are above average.

Typical range (25th to 75th percentile) by age group (steps)
Age MalesFemales
60-64 87 to 11575 to 107
65-69 86 to 11673 to 107
70-74 80 to 11067 to 101
75-79 73 to 10968 to 100
80-84 71 to 10360 to 90
85-89 59 to 9155 to 85
90-94 52 to 8644 to 72

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 2-minute step test measure?

Aerobic endurance, assessed by the number of correctly completed steps in place over two minutes. These reference values describe performance on this specific test.

What is the protocol for the 2-minute step 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?

These pages stop at age 60 because the cited Senior Fitness Test norms cover community-dwelling adults aged 60-94. The values should not be applied to younger adults.

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.

How does this compare to the 6-minute walk test?

The Senior Fitness Test manual presents the 2-minute step test as an alternative when the 50-yard walking course used for the 6-minute walk is unavailable. One records steps in place and the other distance walked, so their scores and percentile ranges are not interchangeable.

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.