A 12-week exercise plan, made for you, done at home.
When your family doctor refers you to Spanfull, we build an exercise plan from their referral and your intake. Short strength sessions and walks, at a pace that suits you. No equipment, no gym and no app.
Prepared for Margaret Doyle · Referred by Dr. Sarah Chen
Your week
- Strength
- Tuesday and Thursday, after my morning coffee
- Walks
- Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, after dinner
- If I miss one
- Do it the next day instead of skipping the week
From your doctor’s referral to your first session.
Your doctor refers you, you complete your intake online, and your plan arrives by email. You don’t need to go anywhere.
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Your doctor refers you
Your family doctor sends us a referral and confirms that you can start light to moderate exercise.
At your appointment -
You complete your intake
We email you a link to your intake. It covers how active you are, what feels hard or painful, how steady you feel on your feet, and which days suit you. You pay at the end.
Online, whenever suits you -
Your plan arrives
Your 12-week plan comes by email. Print it or keep it on your phone. Your doctor gets a short summary too.
Usually within about two days -
You start, at home
Strength and walking sessions at home, on the days you chose. Questions about an exercise? Email us.
Weeks 1 to 12
If something has changed since your appointment, like chest pain, dizziness or a new injury, tell us during your intake. We’ll check with your doctor before you start.
A plan you can follow on your own.
Written in plain language, with every exercise explained step by step. Everything is done at home, and you don’t need to track anything except showing up.
- Your own weekly schedule, in your words
- Step-by-step instructions for every exercise
- Easier options for the harder exercises
- Clear guidance on staying safe
Sit-to-Stand from Chair Legs
3 sets × 6 reps- Use a sturdy chair, feet flat on the floor
- Use your hands on your thighs or the armrests if needed
- Stand up fully, then sit back down with control
Heel Raise at the Counter Calves
2 sets × 10 reps- Face a kitchen counter with both hands resting on it
- Rise onto the balls of your feet, then lower over about three seconds
Semi-Tandem Stand Balance
2 sets × 20 sec- Stand beside a counter with your fingertips resting on it
- Slide one foot half a step forward, hold steady, then switch
$80 for all twelve weeks.
One payment, tax included. There’s no subscription and nothing to renew.
For 12 weeks, about $6.50 a week. Tax included.
- Your own 12-week plan, built from your doctor’s referral and your intake
- Step-by-step instructions for every exercise
- Easier versions to fall back on when you need them
- A short summary sent to your doctor
- Email help with your exercises for the full twelve weeks
How you pay
By card, at the end of your intake. You only pay once your doctor has referred you.
Insurance
Spanfull isn’t covered by OHIP, and isn’t yet claimable through extended health plans. We’re working toward delivering it through registered kinesiology, which would make it claimable under many plans.
If cost is a barrier
Ask your doctor about free programs near you. We’d rather you got moving somewhere.
Simple on purpose, and built on the evidence.
Your plan follows Canada’s physical activity guidelines and the research on what helps people keep exercising. Our approach has been reviewed by a CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist.
Strength and walking, together
Canada’s guidelines recommend both: regular moderate activity like walking, and muscle strengthening at least twice a week. Your plan builds both into your week.
Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for AdultsStrength matters at any age
Muscle-strengthening activity is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and early death, on top of the benefits of walking.
Momma et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022Starting where you are
Your intake sets the starting point for each type of movement, so nothing starts too hard. If a joint hurts or you feel unsteady, your plan tells you what to do instead.
The talk test
On your walks, you should be able to talk but not sing. That keeps every session at a moderate effort, whatever your fitness.
Short sessions you’ll actually do
People keep up shorter sessions better than long ones. Your plan keeps sessions short, and a walk can be split into shorter ones. The total is what counts.
Planning ahead works
People who decide in advance when they’ll exercise are more likely to follow through. That’s why you choose your days and times during your intake.
Bélanger-Gravel et al., Health Psychology Review, 2013Gentle, gradual and checked with your doctor.
Your doctor confirms you can start light to moderate exercise before referring you. If anything has changed since, we check with them before you begin, and every session stays at a moderate effort.
Spanfull is general exercise guidance, not medical treatment. Your doctor stays in charge of your care the whole time.
Stop and contact your doctor if you feel
- Chest pain, pressure or tightness
- Severe shortness of breath that doesn’t settle when you stop
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, or like you might faint
- An irregular or racing heartbeat
- Sharp or sudden pain in a joint or muscle
- Calf pain with swelling, warmth or redness in one leg
Feeling mildly sore the next day, or a bit out of breath on a walk, is normal. In an emergency, call 911.
Good to know.
Do I need a referral?
Yes. Spanfull works through referrals from family doctors in Ontario. If you haven’t been referred yet, you can ask us to let your doctor know about us.
What do I need at home?
A sturdy chair, a kitchen counter and a bit of clear floor, plus supportive shoes for the standing exercises. No weights, gym or app.
What if an exercise is too hard, or hurts?
Your plan gives an easier option for the harder exercises. Mild soreness the next day is normal. If an exercise causes joint pain, skip it for the day and try again next session, going shallower or slower.
If the same exercise keeps hurting, drop it and let your doctor know.
What if I miss a session?
Just carry on. During your intake, you’ll decide in advance what you’ll do if you miss one, like doing it the next day, and it’s printed on your plan.
Is there an app, or anything to track?
No. Your plan comes by email as a document you can print or keep on your phone. You don’t need to log anything.
Does my doctor see my plan?
Your doctor gets a one-page summary of your plan and your intake, so they know what you’re doing. You stay under their care the whole time.
Can I use my insurance?
Not yet. Spanfull isn’t covered by OHIP, and isn’t claimable through extended health plans right now. We’re working toward delivery through registered kinesiology, which would make it claimable under many plans.
I don’t live in Ontario. Can I still join?
Not yet. Spanfull currently works with family doctors in Ontario.
Who do I contact with questions?
Email support@spanfull.com for help with an exercise or fitting your plan into your week. For anything about your health, talk to your doctor.
Tell us who your doctor is, and we’ll let them know about Spanfull.
Spanfull works through referrals from family doctors in Ontario. Give us your doctor’s details and we’ll send their clinic information about Spanfull, then let you know once we have. Your doctor decides whether a referral is right for you.