A 10-week walk-jog-run plan for complete beginners

You can spend all year thinking about it and Googling tips, but the key is to just lace up and get out there for a walk, jog or run (or a bit of all three – more on that later). And regularly. ‘The biggest thing when you first start out is establishing the habit – getting used to being on your feet,’ says running coach Matthew Meyer.

At the start, forget about hitting a certain pace, ditch the idea of reaching a certain distance; instead, just set a time goal. Obviously, a realistic and safe goal will vary according to your starting levels of health and fitness, but Meyer says a good new-runners’ target is to get moving for 20 minutes, three days a week. Eventually, build up to four days, and then you can bump those 20 minutes to 25 and so on.

Whether you’re fresh off the sofa or coming from another sport, running takes time to break into, but you will get there, if you start slowly. One great way to do that is with walk-jog-run or walk-run programme. With your 20-minute target in mind, focus on a few minutes of running/jogging, followed by a period of walking. Meyer suggests aiming to run for three minutes and walking for one minute – continue to alternate until you reach the time goal.

For more information: www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/beginners/a30279918/run-walk-plan-complete-beginners/

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