I want to keep my strength

I have not exercised in years.

Plan two nonconsecutive days a week. Allow about 20–35 minutes, including warm-up and rests; taking longer is fine. Begin with one set if two would be too much.

Use E18 to warm up. Add a few comfortable repetitions of E19 and E20 if appropriate. Practice E16 briefly on other days with support nearby. You do not have to move to the next block because four weeks have passed.

What to do next: The movements themselves · Add walking · Write the session down

Printable: the Kitchen & Training Kit (free PDF)

In the book: Track A: I am starting again, page 56.

I already move and want a real strength routine.

Plan two or three nonconsecutive strength days a week. Alternate sessions A and B: in a three-day week, A/B/A is followed by B/A/B. Allow about 30–45 minutes, adjusting for rest and technique.

Weeks 1–4: use 2 sets of 8–10 controlled repetitions. For trunk exercises, use 4–6 per side or 15–25-second holds. Carry for 15–30 seconds. Learn the movements before adding weight.

Weeks 5–8: build toward 3 sets if recovery is good. Use 8–12 repetitions, with the last few requiring effort but staying controlled. Add a small amount of resistance only when the current amount is comfortable.

What to do next: The movements themselves · Write the session down

Printable: the Kitchen & Training Kit (free PDF)

In the book: Track B: I already move, but need a strength routine, page 57 — the full answer continues there.

Show me the movements.

These are the same movement families as the original Spanish book: sitting and standing, hinging, pushing, pulling, controlling the trunk, balancing, and moving comfortably. Learn the simpler version first. The suggested amounts are starting examples, not performance standards you must pass.

Purpose: practice controlled lowering and standing using the legs and hips.

Stand in front of a stable chair with your feet in a comfortable stance. Reach your hips back and bend your knees as if you are about to sit. Touch the seat lightly, then stand tall. Keep your whole foot in contact with the floor and let your knees move in line with your feet. Breathe out as you rise.

What to do next: Put them into a 12-week plan — in the book, page 56 · How hard it should feel — in the book, page 45

In the book: The 20-movement library, page 45 — the full answer continues there.

Is walking enough?

For one week, notice what you already do without trying to impress your phone. Count minutes, steps, or a familiar route. Pick one measure and use it consistently.

In weeks 1–2, add a short comfortable walk on several days if you can. Five minutes is a legitimate start. In weeks 3–4, make one walk a little longer or add another short one. In weeks 5–6, repeat the amount you can sustain and notice recovery. In weeks 7–8, extend the comfortable walks gradually toward your individualized activity goal.

Printable: the Kitchen & Training Kit (free PDF)

In the book: An eight-week walking build, page 58 — the full answer continues there.

Is it safe for me to start?

If you have chest symptoms, unexplained fainting, unstable heart disease, an acute illness, a recent operation, a significant fall risk, or a restriction from your clinician, get appropriate advice before beginning. With diabetes, know your glucose plan. With osteoporosis, major joint problems, or a recent injury, ask which movements and ranges are suitable.

Stop if you have chest pain, marked breathlessness, faintness, severe dizziness, or sharp pain. Seek urgent or emergency care when the symptoms call for it. Do not finish the set to prove you can. Feeling effort is expected; feeling unsafe is information.

In the book: Before you start, page 44 — the full answer continues there.

It is a dose day and I feel off.

First decide whether you need care. Vomiting, dehydration, a low glucose reading, or significant dizziness is not a reason to attempt a lighter workout. Manage the medical issue.

If you simply feel a little less energetic but otherwise well, choose an easy walk, seated marching, or a few comfortable mobility movements. Avoid positions that aggravate reflux. You are allowed to rest. Resume at a manageable level once you have recovered; there is no missed-workout debt.

In the book: On an upset-stomach day, page 58.