You have watched people outside running and seem to be in great shape. Maybe you have heard friends or colleagues discussing races they are planning on competing in. Perhaps you have been thinking about how you would like to get in better shape, lose some weight or want a new hobby. No matter what the reason, you’d like to start running and aren’t really sure where to start.
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Some might say to just put on some running shoes and start running, but if you haven’t ever run before, trying that might make you never want to run again. It takes time and patience to build up to running.
Initially, you should check with your health care provider and make sure it is ok for you to start running and there aren’t any health issues which might make it unsafe for you to start.
After you have gotten the all-clear to run, go get some running shoes. When you are picking out a pair it isn’t suggested to find the prettiest pair. They might not be the right type of shoe for you. Running shoes are made specifically for different types of gait. A gait is the way a person runs and how the feet turn and land while running. If you get the wrong shoe, you may be setting yourself up for injuries and a painful experience. Go to a running shoe store. The sales associates should be able to fit you properly and analyze your gait so you can get the right shoe the first time.
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So, you have the shoes and medical clearance. What next? Many people don’t have the option of hiring a running coach, which is a perfectly appropriate way to learn to run for someone who hasn’t ever run before. So how do you start? According to the North American Academy for Sport Fitness Professionals (NAASFP), starting slow with a 3 day a week schedule for a 3.1 miles or 5K route with walking for 4 minutes and running for 1 minute the entire route. The run time gradually builds every week with the walk times decreasing as well. After about 10 weeks the walk time should decrease to a 30 second walk and a run time of around 8 minutes at a time.
The time it takes to finish at this point doesn’t matter. That will be improved gradually as your fitness level improves. What matters is that the distance is completed without stopping. After this point, starting a 5 K program such as the couch to 5K is appropriate with the goal of completing a 5K race at the end. There are numerous training programs online one can find to assist with this goal and having 10 weeks of consistent walk/run under your belt, moving forward to a beginners running program is your next step.