Plan description

From middle age, muscle and balance fade if you do not use them. Both come back with practice.

Health guidelines ask for strength and balance work on at least 2 days a week, plus 150 minutes of brisk activity a week.

Hold on to a chair or rail for the balance moves until you feel steady.

Strong and steady at 50+ overview

This plan runs for 8 weeks, 2 sessions a week.

Strength on Tuesday and Friday. Walk every day.

The eight weeks
Weeks	Rounds	Reps	Daily walk
1–2	1	8	10 min
3–4	2	10	15 min
5–6	2	12	20 min
7–8	3	12	30 min

Rest a minute between rounds.

One round
Exercise	How	Sets × reps
Sit to stand	From a chair. Hands on knees if you need to.	See table
Wall press-up	Hands on a wall. Bend your arms. Push back.	See table
Step-up	Bottom stair. Hold the rail. Swap legs.	Reps each leg
Calf raise	Hold a chair. Up on your toes. Down slow.	See table
One-leg stand	Hold a chair. Let go when you can.	20 sec each
Heel-to-toe walk	Along a hall, heel touching toe. Near a wall.	10 steps

This plan gets you started. To keep getting stronger, your muscles need more work than it gives.

After week 8, move on
Next step	What it is
Stronger at 50+ (Pro)	Dumbbells at home, three days a week, with balance moves.
Your first gym plan	Prefer a gym? Machines, three days a week. Ask the staff to set you up.
Keep the balance moves	One-leg stand and heel-to-toe walk, most days. Two minutes after a walk.

Dizzy, faint, sick, chest pain, very short of breath, or a racing heart.

Call emergency services for: chest pain that does not stop with rest, or spreads to your arm, jaw or back.

Not medical advice. Check with your doctor before you start.

Based on 2 sources

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