Ready to start moving but not sure where to begin? This 3-day plan is designed just for you with gentle strength-building moves, stretches that feel good, and a pace that meets you right where you are. Whether you’re living with extra weight, managing joint discomfort, or just getting back into a routine, this routine is for you.

Grab a sturdy chair, a small open space, and some light dumbbells or water bottles if you have them. Go at your own speed, rest when needed, and show up for yourself, just like you’re doing right now.

Day 1: Building the Basics

Warm-Up: 3–5 Minutes

  • Seated Shoulder Rolls (1 minute): Sit tall and roll your shoulders up, back, and down.
  • Arm Swings (1 minute): Gently swing your arms forward and back to loosen them up.
  • Seated Knee Lifts (1 minute): Lift one knee at a time. Breathe naturally and move with control. Feel a light lift from your hip flexors and a gentle engagement in your lower abs.

Main Workout

  • Dumbbell Bicep Curls (8–10 reps): Hold weights at your sides, palms up. Curl toward your shoulders, then lower slowly. If you don’t have weights, your water bottles are great alternatives!
  • Seated Leg Extensions (10 per leg): Sit tall, extend one leg out straight, then lower and switch your legs.
  • Standing Side Taps with Arm Reach (1 minute): Step one foot out while reaching the opposite arm overhead and alternate sides.
  • Dumbbell Overhead Press (8–10 reps): Hold weights at shoulder height. Press up, then lower the weights slowly.
  • Chair-Assisted Squats (8–10 reps): Stand in front of a chair. Lower like you’re about to sit, then rise slowly. Use the seat for support if needed, gently pushing into it with your hands like steady anchors to assist your push back up.

Cool Down

  • Side Bends (12 bends): Slowly and gently tilt your neck side to side. Let go of any tension in your shoulders and upper back.
  • Seated Spinal Twist (30 seconds per side): Sit tall, twist gently to one side, hold, then switch.
  • Deep Belly Breathing (1 minute): Place a hand on your belly. Inhale slowly, exhale even slower.

Day 2: Core and Confidence

Warm-Up

  • March in Place (1 minute): Gentle steps with arm swings to get your heart going.
  • Torso Twists (1 minute): Sit or stand tall. Gently twist side to side to loosen your waist.
  • Shoulder Rolls with Breathing (1 minute): Inhale as you lift your shoulders, exhale as you roll them back and down.

Main Workout

  • Seated Core Bracing (5 breaths x 2 rounds): Sit tall. Inhale deeply, then exhale while gently pulling your belly in and up.
  • Standing Dumbbell Side Bends (10 per side): Hold a weight in one hand. Slide it down your side, then return.
  • Seated Toe Reaches (1 minute): Sit and reach toward your toes, one leg at a time.
  • Standing Knee Lifts with Arm Press (30 seconds per side): Lift your knee as you press both arms overhead.
  • Seated Dumbbell Punches (30 seconds): Hold weights and punch forward gently, one arm at a time. Move with steady speed, avoiding locking your elbow at the end of each punch.

Cool Down

  • Seated Figure-Four Stretch (30 seconds per side): Cross your ankle over your knee and lean forward gently.
  • Gentle Side Neck Stretch (30 seconds per side): Tilt your head to the side and hold.
  • Relaxed Breathing (1 minute): Inhale for 4 seconds. Hold for 6 seconds. Exhale for 7 seconds. The counts are optional if you find the breathing pattern uncomfortable.

Day 3: Strength and Stretch

Warm-Up

  • Shoulder Shrugs (1 minute): Lift your shoulders up to your ears, then drop them down.
  • Standing Arm Circles (30 seconds each direction): Make gentle circles forward and backward.
  • Ankle Rolls (30 seconds per foot): Lift your foot and make slow circles.

Main Workout

  • Seated Dumbbell Rows (8–10 reps): Lean forward slightly and pull elbows back, squeezing your shoulder blades.
  • Standing Calf Raises (10–12 reps): Rise onto your toes, then slowly lower your heels.
  • Dumbbell Chest Press (8–10 reps): Sit or lie down, weights at chest. Press upward, then lower. For the lying option, rest on your back with bent knees and feet flat, feeling your lower back gently connected to the surface.
  • Seated Leg Lifts (10 per side): Lift one straight leg, hold briefly, then lower.
  • Standing Arm Presses (10 reps): Arms at shoulder height, push forward and return.

Cool Down

  • Seated Hamstring Stretch (30 seconds per leg): Extend one leg, gently lean forward from your hips with a straight back, and reach until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your thigh, avoiding a locked knee.
  • Shoulder Cross-Body Stretch (30 seconds per arm): Pull one arm across your chest, hold, then switch.
  • Deep Relaxation Breathing (1 minute): Let your whole body soften as you breathe deeply.

You’re Three Days Closer to Feeling Good Again

You just completed three days of movement that honors your body and your pace. You can go back to this workout again when you’re ready. That’s how strength and confidence start to grow.

At CoreLife, our exercise specialists create personalized fitness plans for every ability, whether you’re starting out, easing back in, or using movement to support medical care. We help you move in ways that feel good and make sense for your life.

Progress isn’t measured in perfection. It’s measured in moments like this. And you’re doing amazing.