A simple weekly workout plan you can actually keep

Start from your week, not a program

Many plans fail in the second week because they were written for someone else's life. Before choosing any exercises, look at your calendar. Which days could you give twenty or thirty minutes? Which days are always too full? A plan that fits three real days beats one that asks for six.

Write down:

• The days you can train, and roughly how long.
• What you have at home: a chair, a resistance band, some light weights, or nothing at all.
• Anything to be careful with, such as a sore knee or back.

The three parts of a balanced week

A good week has three ingredients. Health guidelines for adults suggest about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, like brisk walking, plus muscle strengthening on at least two days. That sounds like a lot, but it works out to about twenty minutes a day.

• Strength keeps muscles and bones strong, which matters more with every birthday. Two sessions a week is enough to make a real difference.
• Moving means walking, cycling, swimming or dancing: anything that gets you a little out of breath but still able to talk.
• Rest is when your body actually gets stronger. Rest days are part of the plan, not a break from it.

Sample weeks

Pick the column that fits your life right now. You can move between them as things change.

A first strength session

You do not need a gym. This session uses a sturdy chair and a wall. Do each move slowly, rest for about a minute between sets, and stop any move that hurts.

1. Sit to stand. Stand up from a chair and sit back down with control. 3 sets of 8.
2. Wall push-up. Hands on the wall at shoulder height, bend your elbows and push back. 3 sets of 8.
3. Standing calf raise. Hold the chair back, rise onto your toes and lower slowly. 2 sets of 10.
4. Bird dog. On hands and knees, reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back. 2 sets of 6 each side.
5. Side leg raise. Holding the chair, lift one leg out to the side and lower it. 2 sets of 8 each side.

How to make it harder, slowly

Your body adapts to what you ask of it, so a plan needs to grow a little over time. The safest way is to change one thing at a time:

• Add two or three minutes to your walks.
• Add one more set, or two more repetitions.
• Make a move a little harder, such as a lower surface for push-ups.

Rest, soreness and missed days

Some muscle soreness a day or two after a new session is normal and fades quickly. Sharp pain, or pain in a joint, is a sign to stop and rest. Missing a day is fine too. Simply pick up with the next session in your plan rather than trying to squeeze two into one day.

How FitnessBuddy helps

FitnessBuddy builds your weekly plan for you and keeps it calm and clear.

• A plan from your answers: the days you can train, your level and the equipment you have. A fresh mix of moves arrives each Monday.
• Guided sessions, one move at a time, with the sets and rests counted for you.
• A library of moves with clear steps, so you always know how to do each one.
• A coach that knows your plan, for questions like "my knee is sore, what can I swap?"
• Progress you can see: the days you trained, your weight over time if you want it, and which parts of the body you have worked.