STEP-BY-STEP RUNNING FOR BEGINNERS

This program is a guideline only – you are most welcome to stay on a certain level for more than the suggested time if you are struggling. Besides your usual stiffness that will occur initially when you first start any form of exercise, there should be no pain in any joints and you should not feel fatigued for more than 24 hours. Remember to give yourself 48 hours of recovery time in between weeks (to begin with) if you have been inactive for more than a year – it really isn’t worth it to rush into things!

FIRST WEEK

DAY 1 Start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up. Then take the same route and run for 30 seconds, walk until your heart recovers to 10 beats higher than what your resting heart rate is. Run again for 30 seconds and walk until you have recovered. Repeat another three times. DAY 2 Start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up then take the same route and run for 40 seconds, and then walk until your heart recovers to 10 beats higher than what your resting heart rate is. Repeat in total six times. DAY 3 Start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up. Then take the same route and run for 60 seconds, walk until your heart recovers to 10 beats higher than what your resting heart rate is. Repeat in total six times.

SECOND WEEK

DAY 1 Using the distances between lampposts as a guide becomes helpful as they are equidistant from each other. If you’re using a treadmill, work on 100m increments. Start with a five- minute walk around the block as a warm- up. Then take the same route and run for one length between lampposts, walk for three lampposts. Run again for one lamppost length and walk for three. Repeat until you have done a total of 15 minutes excluding your warm- up. Cool down by ending on a run, walk for three minutes and stretch. DAY 2 Start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up. Then take the same route and run for two lengths between lampposts, walk for two lampposts. Run again for two lamppost lengths and walk for two. Repeat until you have done a total of 17 minutes excluding your warm-up. Cool down by ending on a run, walk for three minutes and stretch. DAY 3 Start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up. Then take the same route and run for three lengths between lampposts, walk for two lampposts. Run again for three lamppost lengths and walk for two. Repeat until you have done a total of 20 minutes excluding your warm-up. Cool down by ending on a run, walk for three minutes and stretch.

THIRD WEEK

DAY 1 Again, using your lampposts, start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up. Then take the same route and run for three lengths between lampposts, walk for one lamppost. Run again for three lamppost lengths and walk for one. Repeat for a total of 20 minutes excluding your warm-up. Cool down by ending on a run, walk for three minutes and stretch. DAY 2 Start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up. Then take the same route and run for four lengths between lampposts, walk for 1 lamppost. Run again for four lamppost lengths and walk for one. Do a total of 20 minutes excluding your warm-up. Cool down: ending on a run, walk for three minutes and stretch. DAY 3 Start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up. Then take the same route and run for five lengths between lampposts, walk for one lamppost. Run again for five lamppost lengths and walk for one. Do a total of 20 minutes excluding your warm up. Cool down: ending on a run, walk for three minutes and stretch.

FOURTH WEEK

DAY 1, 2 AND 3 Start with a five-minute walk around the block as a warm-up. On all three days it’s about trying to run for as many lampposts continually as your body will allow, then walk for a lamppost distance or two and try to run again for as long as you can. Do a total of 25 minutes excluding your warm-up. By the end of the week you should be able to run for an extended period of time before needing to catch your breath. Cool down by walking for three minutes and stretch.

During these four weeks concentrate on ✔ Good breathing technique and posture while running. ✔ Remember to relax your shoulders, use your arms more if your legs feel heavier. ✔ Try as much as you can to keep your pelvic floor muscles tight (so contract them as if you have a full bladder and can’t go to the loo), especially during the running parts of the exercise. Stay on this schedule until you can run 25 minutes without a walk break and then progress to the intermediate program. YB