Strength and Flex five-week plan

A week-by-week breakdown of the five-week Strength and Flex podcast series.

Do each podcast at least three times within a week before moving on to the next podcast.

Once you've finished the programme, you can keeping using podcast 5 to keep your activity levels up.

Podcast 1

A gentle workout with music, starting with a warm-up followed by a series of strength and flexibility exercises, finishing off with a cool-down.

Warm up

  • check your posture
  • 5 shoulder rolls as you walk (both shoulders)
  • 10 chest presses as you walk (pushing both hands away from you, then bringing them back in with your elbows pointing out)
  • 10 arm rows as you walk (keeping your elbows tucked in while you pull the imaginary oars back and forth)
  • 10 knee bends as you walk

Strength workout

  • 10 standing press-ups  
  • 10 pull-ups
  • 10 shallow squats

Flexibility workout

  • thigh stretches
  • calf stretches
  • seated hamstring stretches
  • chest stretches
  • upper back stretches

Cool down


Podcast 2

We’ve made some of the podcast 1 exercises a bit more challenging and increased the length of your workout.

Warm up

  • check your posture
  • 5 shoulder rolls as you walk
  • 10 chest presses as you walk
  • 10 arm rows as you walk
  • 10 knee bends as you walk

Strength workout

  • 10 standing press-ups – option to increase difficulty 
  • 10 pull-ups – option to increase difficulty 
  • 10 deep squats

Flexibility workout

  • Thigh stretches
  • calf stretches
  • seated hamstring stretches
  • chest stretches
  • upper back stretches
  • tricep stretches

Cool down

Podcast 3

We’ve added some new moves and increased the difficulty level of some of the podcast 2 exercises.

Warm up

  • check your posture
  • 5 shoulder rolls as you walk
  • 10 chest presses as you walk
  • 10 arm rows as you walk
  • 10 knee bends as you walk

Strength workout

  • 10 sit-to-stands
  • 10 standing press-ups – option to increase difficulty 
  • 10 pull-ups – option to increase difficulty 
  • 10 wide squats

Flexibility workout

  • thigh stretches
  • calf stretches
  • seated hamstring stretches
  • chest stretches
  • upper back stretches
  • tricep stretches

Cool down

Podcast 4

We’ve introduced some new exercises and stepped up the intensity and length of your workout.

Warm up

  • check your posture
  • 5 shoulder rolls as you walk
  • 10 chest presses as you walk
  • 10 arm rows as you walk
  • 10 knee bends as you walk

Strength workout

  • 10 sit-to-stands
  • 10 standing press-ups – option to increase difficulty 
  • 10 pull-ups – option to increase difficulty 
  • 10 wide squats
  • 10 bench dips
  • 10 wide pull-ups

Flexibility workout

  • thigh stretches
  • calf stretches
  • seated hamstring stretches – deeper stretch
  • chest stretches
  • upper back stretches
  • tricep stretches

Cool down


Podcast 5

For the last podcast in this series, we’ve made some of the podcast 4 exercises more challenging.

Warm up

  • check your posture
  • 5 shoulder rolls as you walk
  • 10 chest presses as you walk
  • 10 arm rows as you walk
  • 10 knee bends as you walk

Strength workout

  • 10 sit-to-stands with calf raises
  • 10 standing press-ups – option to increase difficulty 
  • 10 pull-ups – option to increase difficulty 
  • 10 wide squats
  • 10 bench dips
  • 10 wide pull-ups

Flexibility workout

  • thigh stretches
  • calf stretches – deeper stretch
  • seated hamstring stretches – deeper stretch
  • chest stretches
  • upper back stretches
  • tricep stretches

Cool down

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