You've been putting your treadmill to good use by walking every day, but now you've decided that you want to start running. That's great! We have some tips for you to make a safe transition from walking to running – both on the treadmill or hitting the road outdoors.
Some tips to make the transition into running:
- Get the right shoes – see our blog post on finding the right shoes for your workout
- Warm up and stretch before and after you run. Walk for 5 minutes and then do your stretching. This will help reduce injury and help you improve your performance. Consider using some stretch tubing to help you stretch out all your muscles.
- Start running at a slow pace, increasing speed as your conditioning improves.
- Try the run/walk technique – start with a two-minute run and then a one minute walk, gradually increasing your run time (see below for an 8 week plan).
- When you run you should be able to carry on a conversation, while you breathe comfortably.
- Take days off to recover between runs. Rest days let muscles recover and build strength.
- Drink water to stay hydrated.
You will not be able to run a 5 km the first day you start running. You'll have to ease into it. Try this 8 week plan that will work your way up to running for 30 minutes.
Week one: Walk for six minutes, then jog at an easy pace for one minute. Repeat three times. Aim for three sessions with that same sequence for week one.
Week two: Walk for five minutes, then jog for two minutes. Repeat three times. Aim to do three sessions in week two.
Week three: Walk for three minutes, then jog for four minutes. Repeat four times. Aim for three sessions in week three.
Week four: Walk for two minutes, then jog for five minutes. Repeat four times. Shoot for three of those sessions in week four.
Week five: Walk for two minutes, then jog for eight minutes. Repeat three times. Do three of those sessions in week five.
Week six: Walk for two minutes, then jog for nine minutes. Repeat three times. Try to do three sessions for week six.
Week seven: Walk for one minute, then jog for 11 minutes. Repeat three times. Do three sessions this week.
Week eight: For your first run this week, try walking for five minutes to begin and end the workout, and run for 20 minutes in between. By the end of the week, try to run for 30 minutes without stopping.
Aim to run for 30 minutes three times a week, and you'll notice that your stamina and fitness will continue to improve.