EF205 Unit 8 Personalized 5K Exercise Plan Example

Course	EF205 Principles of Exercise Science
Unit	Unit 8
Paper type	Personalized exercise plan
Length	About 860 words, 6 pages double-spaced
Format	APA 7 student paper
School	Purdue University Global
Program	BS in Health Science
Updated	October 2026

Free sample paper for EF205 Unit 8

Sixteen Weeks From Walk-Jog to a Full 5K: A Unit 8 Personalized Exercise Plan Built From My Screening and Test Results

[Student Name]

Purdue University Global

EF205: Principles of Exercise Science

Unit 8 Personalized Exercise Plan

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The student, schedule and results are composite; the guidelines and studies cited are real, and the plan is educational, not medical advice.

What this part is doingNaming the start point, end point and the mid-plan retest in the lead shows the plan is built to be checked as well as followed.

Starting Point

Screening: cleared for moderate exercise with gradual progression. Estimated aerobic capacity around 30, below the middle of norms for women my age. Modified push-ups: 9. Sit-and-reach: 24 centimeters. Waist: 35 inches. Resting heart rate: 76. Occasional low back tightness after long shifts.

Goals

1. Jog the full 5K without walking in week 16.

2. Improve estimated VO2max by at least 3 milliliters per kilogram per minute at the week-eight retest.

3. Complete 15 modified push-ups and progress to full push-ups by week 16.

4. Fewer days of back tightness after work, tracked on my log.

Weekly Structure

Aerobic sessions. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and, from week five, Thursday. Morning before my 9:00 a.m. shift on weekdays; Saturday with my daughter, who will bike beside me.

Strength sessions. Tuesday and Friday evenings at home, 25 minutes, after my daughter's homework.

Flexibility. Five minutes after every aerobic session.

Rest. Sunday, plus any day my back is sore.

Phase One, Weeks 1 to 4: Build the Habit

Aerobic. 25 to 30 minutes: 5-minute brisk walking warm-up, then repeats of 1 minute jogging and 2 minutes walking, rising to 2 minutes jogging and 2 walking by week four, then a 5-minute walking cool-down. Target intensity: perceived exertion of 12 to 13 on the Borg scale, heart rate about 118 to 141, talking in full sentences while walking and short phrases while jogging.

Strength. Two sets of 10 to 12 for each of six moves, from squats and bridges to push-ups on the knees, rows with a band and bird dogs, finishing with a 20-second plank.

Phase Two, Weeks 5 to 8: Reach the Guideline

Aerobic. Four sessions of 30 to 35 minutes; jogging intervals of 3 to 5 minutes with 1 to 2 minutes walking. By week eight the weekly moderate total reaches 150 minutes, matching the federal target (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018).

Strength. Three sets; plank to 30 seconds; begin incline push-ups on a kitchen counter.

Week 8 retest. Repeat all Unit 5 tests under the same conditions.

Week eight is a test of the plan as much as of me: if my numbers have not moved, the plan changes, not my commitment.

What this part is doingFraming the retest as a check on the plan shows the plan is designed to be revised from evidence.

Phase Three, Weeks 9 to 12: Continuous Jogging

Aerobic. Jogging segments of 8, then 12, then 20 minutes with one short walk; one longer Saturday session building to 35 minutes.

Strength. Add split squats and step-ups; progress push-ups toward the floor.

Phase Four, Weeks 13 to 16: Race Preparation

Aerobic. Continuous jogging of 25 to 35 minutes; one session a week with three 2-minute faster segments at a perceived exertion of 15 to 16; reduced volume in week 16 before the race.

Strength. Maintain two sessions, reduced to one in race week.

Progression and Recovery Rules

Each week, adjust a single variable and keep the weekly time increase near a tenth. Move forward only after a week in which every session rated about 12 or 13. Repeat a week if a session felt harder than 15 or if sleep or work stress was unusually bad. Stop and rest if pain changes my stride or my back tightness spreads or lasts more than a day. Garber and colleagues' guidance recommends gradual progression to reduce the risk of injury and of dropping out (Garber et al., 2011).

Sessions My Daughter Joins

Saturday sessions are planned around my daughter, who is nine. In phase one she bikes beside me on the park loop. From phase two she can join the walking portions of the intervals and time my jogs, which keeps her involved and makes the session something we share.

Intensity Tools

Chest-strap heart rate, the Borg scale and the talk test, used together, since perceived exertion tracks heart rate closely enough to be a practical guide (Borg, 1982).

Fitting the Plan Into My Life

Weekday sessions happen before work so a late shift cannot cancel them. Saturday sessions are with my daughter, which makes them family time rather than time away from her. Strength sessions are at home, with no commute, after homework. A whiteboard on the refrigerator shows the week's sessions, and my daughter puts a sticker on each one done.

What this part is doingShowing how sessions fit the student's family and work explains why the plan is likely to be followed.

What Could Go Wrong

Winter weather in Columbus: move aerobic sessions to the indoor track at the community center. Back tightness: substitute walking for jogging that day and keep core work. Missed week: repeat the previous week rather than skipping ahead.

Conclusion

The plan starts where my tests say I am, at walk-jog intervals and knee push-ups, reaches the national activity guideline by week eight, retests then and builds to continuous jogging for the April 5K. Its progression and recovery rules, intensity tools and family-friendly schedule are designed to make the plan both safe and likely to be followed.

References

Borg, G. A. V. (1982). Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 14(5), 377-381. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-198205000-00012

Garber, C. E., Blissmer, B., Deschenes, M. R., Franklin, B. A., Lamonte, M. J., Lee, I.-M., Nieman, D. C., & Swain, D. P. (2011). Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: Guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(7), 1334-1359. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). Physical activity guidelines for Americans (2nd ed.). https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines

Reading the EF 205 Unit 8 instructions

Unit 8 usually asks students to design a personalized exercise plan from their screening, test results and goals. Expect to state the starting point and measurable goals, then lay out aerobic, strength and flexibility work by phase or week, with intensity targets and progression rules. Instructors look for a plan that starts where the tests say the student is, reaches guideline levels gradually and includes a retest. Recovery and rules for setbacks, such as illness or pain, show safety awareness. Many prompts also ask how the plan fits the person's work and family life, since a plan that does not fit will not be followed. Intensity tools should be named, and the plan should name its response if the retest finds no gain.

Inside the EF205 Unit 8 example

The plan opens with the starting point from earlier units and four measurable goals. A weekly structure assigns aerobic, strength, flexibility and rest days around her shifts and family. Phase one builds the habit with walk-jog repeats and two strength sessions. Phase two reaches the guideline volume and ends with the week-eight retest, under a highlighted line that the retest checks the plan as much as the student. Phases three and four move to continuous jogging and race preparation. Progression and recovery rules follow, then intensity tools, sessions her daughter joins and how the plan fits her life. Weather, back tightness and missed weeks are handled before the conclusion.

Where the points sit in the EF205 Unit 8 rubric

Exercise plans are scored on grounding, structure, safety and feasibility. The starting point should come from the student's own screening and tests. Goals should be measurable and dated. Graders reward a phased structure with clear intensity targets and a progression rule. A planned retest shows the plan will be evaluated. Recovery and setback rules demonstrate safety awareness. Fitting sessions into real work and family life earns credit for feasibility. Intensity tools should be practical and named. Three APA 7 entries, for Garber and colleagues, Borg and the federal guidance, close the plan. Naming who or what supports each session, such as a daughter on a bike, shows the plan was built for adherence.

Common EF205 Unit 8 mistakes, and how to avoid them

Exercise plans often copy a generic couch-to-5K schedule without linking it to the student's test results. Another frequent weakness is starting at guideline volume in week one. Some plans include no strength work or no rest days. Progression is sometimes vague or too fast, raising injury risk. Plans that ignore work shifts and family responsibilities rarely last past the first month. Before writing, list your test results and your weekly schedule side by side, then mark the slots where sessions can actually happen. Share both lists, and the plan can be drafted from them. Plans without a retest give the student no way to know whether the training worked.

Get an EF205 Unit 8 example written to your instructions

Send your results, goals and the plan instructions with the rubric. A custom plan sets FITT for each component with progression. The first is free, delivered within 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.

More EF205 papers and BS in Health Science samples

EF205 Unit 8 questions, answered

How long should the plan cover?

Often eight to twelve weeks, with a retest.

Should the plan include strength training?

Yes. Guidelines recommend muscle strengthening at least twice a week.

How do I know if it is too hard?

Use perceived exertion and the talk test, and progress gradually.

Where can I find a free EF205 Unit 8 sample paper?

Read the full EF205 Unit 8 personalized exercise plan here: a sixteen-week walk-jog to 5K plan built from a student's own screening and tests.

When does the EF205 Unit 8 sample plan change?

At the week-eight retest; if results have not improved, the plan changes, and any week with illness, unusual stress or a session rated above 15 is repeated.