Running for Beginners
This page contains an overview of how to get started building a running habit, how to stay healthy and make progress, and how to know when you're ready to take the next steps!
This page is for you if:
– Running feels intimidating or “not for people like me.”
– You get out of breath quickly and assume that means you “can’t run.”
– You want a simple, no-pressure way to start, not a full training plan.
If you stick with this for 6–8 weeks, running will start to feel more familiar, less scary, and a lot more doable.
Enjoyment Above All
If I could distill all of my tips for beginners into one thought, it would be this:
You should enjoy the act of running on most of your runs.
Of course, the number one goal is to build the habit. In order to do that, you need to enjoy it! But even when it comes to training and improving, if you don’t enjoy it—particularly after the first few weeks—then something is out of whack. It shouldn’t hurt. It shouldn’t be hard. If it’s hard, you’re going too fast! A good rule of thumb: you should be able to talk in full sentences while you’re running. If you can’t, slow down or walk until you can.
But there's more to it than that, so let's dig in!
If you have a history of heart or lung issues, chest pain, dizziness, or other medical concerns, check in with your doctor before you start. And if you ever feel a new, sharp pain, chest tightness, or get really lightheaded, stop and get things checked out. Progress should feel like gentle challenge, not like scaring yourself.
Starting from Scratch
Always Start With Walking
If you are starting a running routine from scratch (or even after significant time off), start with walking! If you can walk at an “in a hurry” pace for 20 min, then start doing that every other day. As a general rule, once you can walk for 20 minutes, most days of the week, you’re ready to start sprinkling in some very short running intervals.
Run/Walk Intervals
Alternating running and walking is an AMAZING tool for runners. There is nothing inherently 'better' about continuous running. I promise.
Simply go out for your 20-minute run, but after four minutes of walking, add one minute of running.
So that will look like: 4 min walk, 1 min run, 4 min walk, 1 min run, 4 min walk, 1 min run, 4 min walk, 1 min run. (That brings you to 20 minutes.)
It’s important not to try to run fast, even though it’s for such a short time. Just try to move efficiently in a running motion.
I recommend always starting with at least a few minutes of walking. You could also add 5 min of walking before starting the intervals, and then running the first minute of every 5 min section.
These intervals are usually written as 4 min walk / 1 min run or 1 min run / 4 min walk.
Note that the exact intervals don't matter: as you get consistent, you will develop the ability to feel when you should run and walk.
But for now, here's my recommended progression of walk/run intervals:
4:30 walk / 30 sec run (if needed)
4 min walk / 1 min run
3 min walk / 2 min run
2 min walk / 3 min run
Don't feel like you need to stick to one ratio for an entire run—it's helpful to switch it up!
Stay at each level for at least a week or two. There’s no prize for getting through the list faster—only for feeling more relaxed and confident as you go.
How to Progress
Always focus on building consistency first. It’s better to do less time, 5–6 days per week, than one long effort you need to recover from. Once you are consistently getting that fifth day, you can gradually bump up a day or two by 5 min at a time or so.
If a specific spot (like a knee or shin) starts to feel irritated, don’t push through it. Take a couple of easier days (more walking, less running) or an extra rest day and see if it settles down. Pain is a signal to adjust, not a test to pass.
Once you are run/walking for about 40 min a day, you can start to think about progressing your run/walk intervals to the next level.
You generally don’t want to bump an entire week up to the next higher ratio of run/walk intervals. I usually recommend bumping 2–3 days a week up to the next level, while keeping the others the same. So you might bump Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday up a level, and keep Wednesday and Sunday the same.
How to Know When You're Ready for More
When finishing a week of runs is a foregone conclusion—you’re enjoying things, there’s no doubt in your mind that you’ll finish everything you wanted to for the week and feel good… THAT’S the time to pick it up a notch. At this stage, you should not feel like you’re constantly pushing your limits. Not yet. There’ll be time for that in the future!
Continuous Running
Honestly, try not to get caught up in the thought of continuous running. It's not a benchmark to worry about. The more important thing is that you’re moving at the right effort level for the right amount of time, gently teaching your body to get fitter and more comfortable with running. If continuous running makes it less enjoyable or more stressful, stick with run/walk longer. There is zero downside.
So when should you try continuous running? When your body no longer even wants to take the walk interval. When you feel like you’re doing it only because you should. That’s when you try it. And guess what? There’s no magic—if it gets too hard, throw in a walk interval or two! Start going by feel—it will change your life.