This summer it’s time for us to get up off the couch with a beginner’s running programme that will move you from zero to 5km in just four weeks.
We’re not talking about running a marathon but rather about effectively nudging your body towards a fitter, healthier 2021.
After all, even if you’re not a “runner”, you probably are fitter than you think. How much time do you spend on your feet fetching and carrying for the family? Running around after the kids? Trawling the mall for Christmas gifts and food?
Getting started:
Help yourself out by listening to music with 120 beats per minute or more, as studies have shown that this speed can lift mood and make exercise seem easier (Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off and Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now are great playlist picks).
Download an app – several are free – to help take you from beginner runner to 5km. The official Couch to 5K® training app, for example, has seen thousands of new runners slide off the couch and on to their feet. Many running apps also give coaching advice and statistics, as well as how to track and map your runs.
Four-week 5km training programme
The four-week training programme below is a simplified version and includes cross-training and rest days. It starts with the assumption that you already can comfortably walk for 30 minutes.
Cross-training can be cycling, yoga, swimming, or any other activity that you enjoy – Pilates, for example, is particularly good for runners as it helps with core strength.
The rest days are also important because your body needs a break. However, if you do find it hard to keep up with the programme, you may adapt it by repeating one week before progressing to the next.
If you are running on a treadmill, aim for 6.5km per hour but, in general, take it at your own easy pace as for beginners it’s all about time on the legs, rather than distance covered.
Week 1
Day 1: Walk 4 minutes, run 1 minute. Repeat x 5, then end with 4 minutes of walking
Day 2: Rest or cross-train
Day 3: Walk 4 minutes, run 1 minute. Repeat x 5 (as Day 1)
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Walk 4 minutes, run 1 minute. Repeat x 5 (as Day 1)
Day 6: Rest or cross-train
Day 7: Rest
Week 2
Day 1: Walk 4 minutes, run 2 minutes. Repeat x4, then end with 3 minutes of walking.
Day 2: Rest or cross-train
Day 3: Walk 3 minutes, run 3 minutes. Repeat x4, then end with 3 minutes of walking.
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Walk 3 minutes, run 3 minutes. Repeat x4 (as Day 3)
Day 6: Rest or cross-train
Day 7: Rest
Week 3
Day 1: Walk 3 minutes, run 5 minutes. Repeat x3, then end with 3 minutes of walking.
Day 2: Rest or cross-train
Day 3: Walk 3 minutes, run 5 minutes. Repeat x3, then end with 3 minutes of walking (as Day 1)
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Walk 3 minutes, run 7 minutes. Repeat x2, then end with 3 minutes of walking
Day 6: Rest or cross-train
Day 7: Rest
Week 4
Day 1: Walk 2 minutes, run 8 minutes. Repeat x2, then end with 3 minutes of walking.
Day 2: Rest or cross-train
Day 3: Walk 2 minutes, run 9 minutes. Repeat x2, then end with 3 minutes of walking
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Walk 1 minute, run 9 minutes. Repeat x2, then end with 3 minutes of walking (as Day 3)
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Ready, steady, go! Run 5km.
As a beginner runner, don’t get upset if there is a mom with a stroller who runs faster than you, or you see a grey-haired gent with a boep the size of a football speeding past.
As you move through the programme, bear in mind that it’s not necessarily about being Usain Bolt or winning a medal, it’s about feeling better in your body, stronger than you were yesterday.
You’ll also find that as you gradually build up fitness you have more energy. Plus, if you burn 500 calories running, you’ll have more leeway for dessert which is always a bonus over the festive season!
What’s more, even if you feel you are slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter, take comfort in the thought that you are still lapping everyone else still sitting on that couch.
Date Published: 09 December 2020
