If you’re over 50, you probably already know that staying active is important. The hard part is knowing what to do, how often to do it, and how to fit it all into a normal week without feeling overwhelmed.
I’m Will Harlow, Over-50s Specialist Physiotherapist at HT Physio in Farnham, and I’ve helped thousands of people over 50 improve their strength, mobility and fitness. In this article, I’ll walk you through what I’d consider an “ideal” weekly exercise plan for a typical 60–70-year-old who wants to stay strong, independent and mobile.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this post is not a substitute for individualized medical advice and the exercises are not suitable for every person. Please get checked out before you start any new exercise programme.
Who This Plan Is For
When I designed this routine, I had a very specific person in mind:
- Around 65 years old
- Generally likes the idea of exercise
- Wants to stay healthy, strong and independent
- But doesn’t feel confident putting together their own plan
You don’t need to be super fit or experienced to use this. You just need to be:
- Able to walk, at least at a gentle pace
- Safe to do some resistance work
- Willing to move your body most days of the week, in manageable chunks
It’s also worth saying: this plan is flexible. If you’re starting from a lower level, you can trim it back and build up slowly.
The Four Key Elements of a Great Week
For over-50s, a truly effective plan isn’t just about “doing more cardio” or “going to the gym”. It needs to cover four key areas:
- Resistance training (for strength and muscle)
- Cardio (for heart, lungs and metabolic health)
- Walking (for daily movement and general fitness)
- Mobility work (for joints, posture and stiffness)
Let’s look at each one, then I’ll show you how they fit together into a single week.
1. Resistance Training: Your Foundation for Strength & Independence
Resistance training is simply working your muscles against a challenge – this could be your bodyweight, dumbbells, bands, or machines.
For over-50s, the evidence is very clear:
- More muscle and strength = more independence
- Resistance training is linked to a longer and healthier life
- It’s never too late – even people in their 80s and 90s can gain muscle and strength in as little as 12 weeks
Basic resistance training guidelines
When you do a resistance session, aim for:
- 5–8 exercises per session
- 3 sets of each exercise
- Work to fatigue, not failure — stop when you feel a strong, working ache, not when your form collapses
- Rest 1–2 minutes between sets
For each set:
- Aim for 10–30 repetitions
- If you can’t reach 10 reps, the weight or level is probably too heavy
- If you can easily do more than 30 reps, it’s probably too light
That 10–30 rep range is ideal for over-50s: it’s effective for building strength and muscle, and generally low-risk when done with good form.
How many days per week?
- Ideal: 3 resistance sessions per week
- If you’re new: start with 1–2 sessions and build up
Three sessions per week is a sweet spot: enough to create change, but with recovery days in between.
Good example exercises
You don’t need anything fancy. A simple full-body mix might include:
- Goblet squat – great for quads and glutes
- Romanian deadlift – targets hamstrings and glutes
- Dumbbell row – works upper back, rear shoulders and biceps
- Shoulder press – strengthens shoulders and triceps
You can swap in alternatives (e.g., sit-to-stands instead of goblet squats) depending on your current ability and any joint issues.
2. Cardio: Looking After Your Heart and Lungs
Cardio is any exercise that elevates your heart rate for a sustained period. For most over-50s, this might look like:
- Brisk walking
- Walking uphill
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Running (if appropriate)
- Or a sport like tennis or badminton
You don’t have to go all-out. But you should aim for a level where:
- You can still talk in short sentences,
- But you couldn’t sing or hold a long conversation easily.
Cardio helps:
- Improve heart health
- Keep the lungs working efficiently
- Support metabolic health, including weight and blood sugar control
How many cardio sessions per week?
- Aim for 2 sessions per week, lasting somewhere between 20–60 minutes
- Choose something you enjoy, so you’ll keep doing it
If a gym bike bores you to tears but you enjoy a game of doubles tennis, choose the tennis. Enjoyment is a huge part of consistency.
3. Walking: Your Daily “Underlying” Activity
Walking is underrated. It’s one of the simplest and safest ways to:
- Improve general mobility
- Support joint health
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get you outside, which also benefits mental health
People often focus on the “10,000 steps” figure, but I prefer to think in terms of a mixture of walks:
- Some longer, slower walks
- Some shorter, brisker walks
If you don’t like walking fast, walking uphill is a good alternative, it raises the effort level without having to rush.
4. Mobility: Keeping Joints Moving and Stiffness Down
Mobility work doesn’t have to mean an hour of stretching on the floor. For most people, 10 targeted minutes per day is enough to make a meaningful difference over time.
Your mobility routine should focus on your problem areas, usually the joints that feel stiff, achy, or have a history of injury or arthritis.
For example, in my own routine I often work on:
- Ankles and hips – using a deep “Asian squat” position to open them up
- Mid-back (thoracic spine) – with movements like cat-cow and foam rolling
- Shoulders – with stretches like the sleeper stretch to improve internal rotation
The keys with mobility are:
- Little and often works best
- Stay within comfortable limits – a stretch should feel tight, not painful
- Over weeks and months, small daily doses add up
How Often Should You Do Each Element?
Here’s a simple frequency guide:
- Resistance training: 3× per week (start with 1–2 if needed)
- Cardio: 2× per week
- Walking: Daily (a mix of longer and shorter walks)
- Mobility: Daily, about 10 minutes
Now let’s see how that fits into a typical week.
A Sample “Perfect Week” for Over-50s
You can adjust days around work, family and other commitments, but here’s one way to structure it:
Monday
- Resistance training
- Long walk (e.g. 45–60 minutes at a comfortable pace)
- 10 minutes of mobility
Tuesday
- Cardio session (20–60 minutes – e.g. brisk walk, cycling, swimming, or a sport)
- Short walk later in the day
- Mobility practice
Wednesday
- Resistance training
- Short walk
- Mobility practice
Thursday
- Long, slow walk (45–60 minutes) – think of this as your “easy but steady” day
- Mobility practice
Friday
- Resistance training
- Short walk
- Mobility practice
Saturday
- Second cardio session (20–60 minutes)
- Short walk
- Mobility practice
Sunday
- Rest day (priority = recovery)
- Optional gentle short walk if you feel like keeping things moving
This structure gives you:
- 3 resistance sessions
- 2 cardio sessions
- 2 longer walks + several shorter ones
- Daily mobility in small, digestible doses
And crucially, it still includes one clear rest day, which many people over 50 overlook.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a perfect body, a gym membership, or a lifetime of fitness behind you to benefit from a structured weekly plan. What matters most is:
- Hitting these four key elements regularly
- Working at a level that feels challenging but safe
- Being consistent over months, not perfect for a week
If you start where you are, build up gradually, and treat this plan as a framework (not a rigid rulebook), you’ll be giving your body the best possible chance to stay strong, mobile and independent well into later life.
Next Steps
If you’d like personalised guidance, HT Physio in Farnham can help you build a safe, effective plan for posture and walking.
For more practical strategies, check out my book Thriving Beyond 50, packed with expert tips to keep you strong, mobile and independent.
Author:
Will Harlow, MSc, MCSP. Over-50s Specialist Physiotherapist, HT Physio (Farnham, UK)