12-Week Workout Plan for 50-Year-Old Women
If you’re looking for a structured, realistic workout plan designed specifically for women over 50, this free 12-week program is for you. I created this plan to help you build muscle, protect bone density, improve balance and support heart health in just 20-30 minutes a day. Download the workout plan for a 50-year-old woman PDF and follow the weekly calendar to build strength and confidence at home.
Quick Links:
- Download Workout Plan for 50-Year-Old Woman PDF
- Why This Plan Works
- How To Follow This 12-Week Plan
- Weekly Workout Routine
- FAQs
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Download Your FREE 50+ Workout Plan PDF Here
Download the PDF calendar for this 12-week workout program so you can easily access your daily workouts.
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Why This Plan Works for Women Over 50
This plan is ideal for women 50+, including beginners returning to exercise and experienced lifters who want a structured routine.
This 12-week guided program will help you:
- Safely build bone density
- Increase lean muscle mass
- Improve mobility and balance
- Support heart health
- Reduce joint pain
- Improve metabolism and glucose control
- Support hormonal changes
- Prevent burnout
After age 50, estrogen declines can accelerate muscle loss (sarcopenia) and bone density reduction (osteopenia and osteoporosis). Strength training is the best way to combat both of these common issues, which is exactly why it’s so important to include as we age!
Women over 50 can absolutely build muscle at home, especially when they focus on progressive overload, adequate protein intake and proper recovery.
The best workout plan for a 50-year-old woman includes a mix of:
- 3-4 strength training workouts (hitting all the major muscle groups)
- 1-2 mobility and flexibility workouts
- 150-160 minutes of aerobic activity/week (~20 minutes/day)
This is the best combination for optimal health and aging well. Depending on how many days per week you prefer to work out, you can spread these workouts out over 5-6 days, or stack on stretching and cardio to your 3 resistance training days.
Remember: It’s never too late to build strength. Your body responds to consistency: start where you are, and progress as you can!
How to Follow This 12-Week Plan (Progressive Overload)
The key to building strength at 50+ is slow, intentional, joint-friendly progressive overload. You’ll repeat the same weekly workout schedule each week, with the goal of:
- Weeks 1-4: Build Your Base. Use dumbbells around 8-10% of your body weight if you’re newer to weight training. For example, if you weigh 135 lbs, start with 10-15 lb dumbbells. Focus on perfecting your form, and think of this phase as building your foundation.
- Weeks 5-8: Increase Your Load. Try to increase weights by 10-15% as you gain strength and confidence. For example, if you started weeks 1-4 with 12 lb dumbbells, move to 15 lb dumbbells. You can also slightly increase aerobic sessions by 5-10 minutes.
- Weeks 9-12: Challenge Yourself. Try to increase weights by 10-15% again, or choose more challenging variations of exercises. For example, try substituting single-leg deadlifts for standard deadlifts. Increase cardio to maintain or exceed the 150-160 minutes/week target.
- Week 13: Deload Week. Let your muscles repair and your nervous system recover. Reduce weights by 30-40%, use less advanced versions of exercises or swap one strength day for a yoga class or stretch session. This intentional scaling back improves long-term results, reduces injury risk and helps maintain hormonal balance. Here’s a sample 7-Day Deload Week Plan you can follow.
Weekly Exercise Routine (Weeks 1-12)
Jump To: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
Day 1: Upper Body Strength
Workout Time: 20-30 minutes
Main Focus: Upper body strength (chest, shoulders, triceps, back and biceps).
Workout Instructions: Perform 8-10 reps of each exercise. Repeat x3 sets.
Workout Outline:
- Dumbbell Chest Press
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press or Lateral Raise
- Lying Tricep Extensions or Skull Crushers
- Single Arm Back Row, Right
- Single Arm Back Row, Left
- Bicep Curls
Or Substitute A Follow-Along Workout Video:
- 25-Minute Arms and Abs Workout (All Standing)
- 25-Minute Beginner Arm Workout
- 30-Minute Compound Arm Workout
Day 2: Low-Intensity Cardio
Workout Time: 20-30 minutes
Main Focus: Support muscle recovery and increase aerobic capacity.
Workout Instructions: Perform 20-30 minutes of your preferred form of cardio.
Workout Examples:
- Power walk
- Cycling
- Treadmill jog
- Swimming
Or Substitute A Follow-Along Workout Video:
Day 3: Lower Body Strength
Workout Time: 20-30 minutes
Main Focus: Lower body strength (quads, hamstrings, hips, glutes, thighs and calves).
Workout Instructions: Perform 8-10 reps of each exercise. Repeat x3 sets.
Workout Outline:
- Goblet Squat
- Reverse Lunges
- Calf Raise
- Deadlift
- Glute Bridge
- Dumbbell or Kettlebell Swing
Or Substitute A Follow-Along Workout Video:
- 30-Minute Leg Workout for Bad Knees
- 20-Minute Glute Workout
- 20-Minute All Standing Dumbbell Leg Workout
Day 4: Core, Mobility & Pilates
Workout Time: 15-20 minutes
Main Focus: Deep core strength, pelvic stability and spinal mobility.
Workout Instructions: Perform 15-20 minutes of your preferred form of abs and recovery.
Workout Examples:
- Yoga class
- Pilates/Barre class
- Mobility flow
- Foam rolling
- Core workout
Or Substitute A Follow-Along Workout Video:
Day 5: Full Body Strength
Workout Time: 20-30 minutes
Main Focus: Functional strength for daily life (movement patterns like pushing, pulling, hinging, squatting and carrying).
Workout Instructions: Perform 8-10 reps of each exercise. Repeat x3 sets.
Workout Outline:
- Dumbbell Squat
- Overhead Press
- Dumbbell Deadlift
- Bent Over Back Row
- Lateral Lunges
- Push-Ups or Dumbbell Chest Press
- Farmers Carry March
Or Substitute A Follow-Along Workout Video:
- 30-Minute Full Body Strength Training For Women
- 20-Minute Standing Full Body Dumbbell Workout
- 20-Minute Gentle Full Body Strength
Day 6: Cardio and Active Recovery
Workout Time: 20-45 minutes
Main Focus: Support muscle recovery and goal of 160 minutes of aerobic activity per week.
Workout Instructions: Perform 20-45 minutes of your preferred form of cardio and stretching.
Workout Examples:
- Power walk
- Swimming
- Easy bike ride
- Hiking
Or Substitute A Follow-Along Workout Video:
Day 7: Rest and Stretching
Workout Time: 5-10 minutes
Main Focus: Release tight or sore muscles and prepare for next week of workouts.
Workout Instructions: Perform 5-10 minutes of your preferred form of stretching.
Workout Examples:
- Light stretching
- Foam rolling
- Yoga flow
Or Substitute A Follow-Along Workout Video:
Find This Workout Plan On YouTube
YouTube Playlist
Workout Plan Details
1. Gym Equipment Needed:
A Set of Dumbbells. Most of the daily strength workouts require a set of dumbbells. Each weight training workout will have a recommended dumbbell weight, usually between 8-20 pounds. You want a weight heavy enough that your last few reps are a struggle, but you are still able to complete the workout with good form. Shop my dumbbells here (Discount Code: NML5).
Optional Exercise Equipment: Resistance Band (Discount Code: NML)
2. Time Requirement:
Strength workouts are around 20-30 minutes a day, 3 days per week. You can always take more rest days as needed. Many women over 50 find they feel best when they aim for 4-6 days a week of intentional movement, including 3 strength sessions and 2-3 cardio or mobility days.
3. Fitness Level:
Beginner to advanced, with modifications offered for all fitness levels.
If you’re looking for a full-body workout plan for beginners, follow my Beginner Workout Plan.
4. Cost:
FREE! No sign-up needed, this is a FREE Workout Plan.
FAQs
Can arms be toned after 50?
Yes. To achieve the appearance of “toned arms,” the key is to have a low enough ratio of body fat to muscle so that the muscle definition shows through. To “look toned,” you have to build muscle!
Is cardio necessary for women over 50?
Yes, cardio is a key part of a well-rounded workout routine for women over the age of 50. While lifting weights should be the base of your program, daily steps and cardio support heart health, circulation and endurance.
How can women over 50 prevent injury while exercising?
To prevent injuries, make sure to warm up and cool down properly, focus on form before increasing load and progress gradually. If you’re dealing with joint pain, stop and address the pain before continuing to avoid worsening an injury.
Can you build muscle without progressive overload?
You can’t effectively build muscle without progressive overload. Muscle adapts only when challenged, which means you need to continue finding new ways to challenge yourself, whether it’s through heavier weights, more reps, increased time-under-tension or greater range of motion.
How long should you follow a workout program before changing it?
I recommend committing to a structured strength training program for 12 weeks before changing it. That amount of time allows you to master each workout, increase weights and measure strength gains and metabolic improvements.
How To Download and Use This Women 50+ Workout Plan PDF
- Download the Workout Plan PDF by clicking here, or bookmark this webpage for reference.
- Save this workout calendar to your mobile device home screen for easy access.
- Open the workout calendar PDF in the Safari browser on your phone.
- Tap the bottom arrow in the center of your screen.
- Select ‘Add to Home Screen’.
- Hover over and then click on the bold text each day to access the full video on nourishmovelove.com. Or find the daily workouts on YouTube.
- You can also access all of the home workout videos on this workout challenge calendar on YouTube via this YouTube Playlist: Workout Plan for Women Over 50.
- Share your daily workouts with me by tagging @nourishmovelove on social and ‘Pin’ the daily workouts on Pinterest so you can do them again.
Get My Full Program Guide!
New to Nourish Move Love and wondering which workout plan is best for you? Check out more of my free workout plans, and find the program that’s best for you!
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Just What I Need
February 27, 2026
As I was doing one of the workouts yesterday I had a thought that I need a program for me in my stage of life because although I CAN do all of the workouts, my body is not the same and I am never sure if I am harming myself by pushing on the wrong type of workout. So I am SO FLIPPING THRILLED to have opened my email this morning to find the exact thing I needed. If I am reading this correctly, it will be the same workouts repeated every week, the goal is to progress weights every 4 weeks. Do I have that correct?
Note: before beginning any new exercise program you should consult with your physician or midwife. The information provided with this workout challenge is intended for general information and use; it does not include specific, individualized recommendations and is not intended as medical advice. Before you begin any new exercise program Nourish Move Love, LLC recommends that you consult with your physician. Nourish Move Love, LLC primarily educates clients to assume more personal responsibility for their health by adopting a healthy and active lifestyle.
This post includes affiliate links. I do make a small commission for products purchased using these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Nourish Move Love, making the content you see on this blog possible.
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one comment
This might be a crazy question but could this work for men over 50? I love working out with your videos and plans, and my husband is older than me and in a different state of health. I’m struggling to find resources to support his weight loss and all-around health. So I’m just wondering if this program would be appropriate for him, or if you can point me in the right direction.