Just like brushing your teeth or doing the food shop, running \u2013 and movement more broadly \u2013 can easily become second nature if you allow space for it in your routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Once it\u2019s a habit, exercise feels easier and doesn\u2019t take as much willpower when you don\u2019t feel like it,\u2019 says Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit. Here are some quick tips for to ignite some running motivation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make a plan<\/strong> Keep it regular<\/strong> Reward yourself<\/strong> Build a support system<\/strong> Goal 2: Get moving<\/strong> Walking plan to prepare your body for running Room to manoeuvre?<\/strong> *If your BMI is 35 or higher, you\u2019re over 60, or you just want to make progress more slowly, use this plan for eight to 12 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Goal 3: Start running<\/strong> Beginner run\/walk plan<\/strong> Room to manoeuvre?<\/strong> Goal 4: Run non-stop<\/strong> Beginner plan to help you run your first 5K Room to manoeuvre?<\/strong> Goal 5: Run further<\/strong> Beginner plan to take you from 5K to 10K<\/strong> Room to manoeuvre?<\/strong> Goal 6: Run faster<\/strong> Beginner plan to help you get faster Room to manoeuvre?<\/strong> Start running successfully<\/strong> Get checked<\/strong> Get good gear<\/strong> Sneak in activity<\/strong> Find your pace<\/strong> Find your place<\/strong> Record your runs<\/strong> Be patient<\/strong> It\u2019s impossible to miss inspiring events like the London Marathon \u2013 whether you watched it from the roadside or on TV, or heard all about it online, you may well have felt the drive to lace up, get outside and start running yourself. But, if you\u2019re new to running or returning from a running hiatus, […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-meet-the-coach","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1025"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1034,"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025\/revisions\/1034"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
According to Duhigg, every habit is made up of a group of cues (like time, place, music or other people), a reward (like a massage or your favourite meal) and a routine (the workout itself). Write down your cues and rewards and put up your plan somewhere you can see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the start, run at the same time of day and listen to the same pre-run music or podcast, for example. \u2018The cues have to be consistent,\u2019 says Duhigg. \u2018You\u2019re creating neural pathways that make the activity a habit.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Treat yourself to something you enjoy straight after you run or move, so your brain can associate exercise with an immediate reward. \u2018You have to teach the brain through experience,\u2019 says Duhigg. The reward could be something you like to eat or an activity you love doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Equip your running routine with things that will make you feel good. That might be running with friends and arranging a post-run coffee, or going to a parkrun on a Saturday morning. Be sure to track your runs along the way \u2013 via a running app, GPS running watch or old fashioned pen and paper \u2013 so you can see you progress, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before your start running, get into the habit of regular exercise with some brisk walking. By this, we don\u2019t mean a leisurely \u2018window shopping\u2019 pace, but a faster, \u2018I need to hurry or else I might be late\u2019 pace. While you can also use a stationary bike or elliptical to get accustomed to moving, walking is an excellent foundation for running and holds the trump card for convenience. After all, the best exercise is the type that you can and want to do consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is it for?<\/strong>
This seven-week* plan is for anyone who is completely new to exercise. It involves only walking, which gives your bones, muscles, tendons and fitness the foundation they need to progress to running without injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t have time for your longer session, split the week\u2019s longest workout in half and do one half in the morning and the other in the afternoon. This might work well around a commute to work, for example, where you could get off a bus or train at an earlier stop to fit in more walking steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image.png\")
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You\u2019re ready to run \u2013 and the good news? You\u2019ll now be moving at a faster pace, so you\u2019ll be covering more distance without adding workout time to your schedule. At the end of this seven-week plan, you\u2019ll be able to complete 175 minutes of exercise per week and running for approximately twice as long as you walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is it for?<\/strong>
This seven-week plan is for those who already active. In the first two weeks, you\u2019ll exercise for roughly 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Then, in the third week, you\u2019ll start running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you find yourself wanting a bit more of a challenge, pick up the pace. On any given day, work out for the same amount of time, but gradually build to a run\/walk ratio of 4:2 minutes, then 6:3 minutes. If you find the plan is moving too quickly for you and you want to dial it back, repeat any week for as long as you like until you feel ready to push on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-1.png\")
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Want to build your endurance and eliminate the walk breaks? This plan steers you from run\/walk workouts to continuous running, up to the 5K distance. Each run should be done at a conversational pace, so if you find yourself struggling to catch your breath while you\u2019re on the move, slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is it for?<\/strong>
When you start this seven-week plan, you should have already spent at least six weeks run\/walking for roughly 30 minutes at a time, five days per week. You should also be running for at least twice as long as you walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This running plan offers plenty of flexibility. If the week\u2019s workouts feel too easy, skip ahead to the following week. Or, if your body\u2019s response tells you that the training is moving too fast, spend two weeks or more at each week \u2013 although you should aim to complete the programme within a 14-week period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-2.png\")
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If you can comfortably run 5K non-stop and now want to run that bit further, this plan will help you to develop the endurance you need to run a 10K while building the strength to race a 5K. As such, this plan includes some hill running and loosely structured speed workouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is it for?<\/strong>
To benefit from this seven-week plan, you should have already spent at least six weeks running for 30 minutes or more at a time, five days per week. Ideally, you can run 5K without walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re ready for a greater challenge, feel free to skip ahead to the following week \u2013 but don\u2019t rush it. If you push too hard, too soon, you are putting yourself at risk of an injury, so for the sake of solid progress it\u2019s better to build gradually and allow your body time to adjust to the extra load. If you feel the plan\u2019s moving too fast, you can repeat any week until you\u2019re ready to progress, but still aim to complete this plan within 14 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-3.png\")
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This eight-week plan is the one for you if you can already run five or six miles and are now itching to run a bit faster. It will develop endurance, introduce you to speed work to boost your leg and lung power and enhance your \u2018pace awareness\u2019 so you don’t go out too fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who is it for?<\/strong>
This eight-week plan is for \u2018advanced beginners\u2019 \u2013 in other words, people who can already run around 18 miles per week, including a five-mile long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If time pressures mean you can only run four days a week rather than the prescribed five, you can skip the shortest easy run of the week. There\u2019s flexibility as to when you fit in the other sessions, too. While most runners tend to do their long runs at the weekends, for example, you can shift this to a weekday if it better suits your routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cpmstepchallenge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-4.png\")
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Now you\u2019ve chosen your plan and have your workouts in place, half the battle is already won \u2013 but before you kick out to clock your first session, run through the following checklist to make sure you\u2019re good to go:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re over the age of 40, have a BMI of 35 or higher, or have a family history of heart disease, talk to your doctor before you start running so you can get the medical all-clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ve just remembered the old pair of trainers that have been hibernating in the back of the wardrobe for several years \u2013 they\u2019ll be good enough to run in, right? Sadly, this is unlikely to be the case. Worn or ill-fitting shoes are a recipe for injury, so visit a specialist running shop to get equipped with a pair of comfortable, sturdy running shoes that fit your goals, budget and feet. \u2018There\u2019s no magical shoe that makes running easier, but a bad shoe will ruin your running,\u2019 says physiotherapist Bruce Wilk. It\u2019s also worth investing in running socks made from sweat-wicking fabrics to help keep blisters at bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t feel restricted by your running plan \u2013 if you find additional time throughout the day to get active, do! You could incorporate a 15-minute walk into your lunch break, for instance, or set an alarm every hour to remind you to get up and move. In fact, a study in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity found that taking a five-minute walk break once an hour burns 132 calories over the course of an eight-hour working day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you first start running, the trick is to be consistent enough to build strength and endurance, but slow enough so that you don\u2019t get injured. With that in mind, aim to complete your training runs at an easy, conversational pace, which you feel you could maintain forever. \u2018A lot of runners try to run too fast, because they feel like they\u2019re not a runner unless they go at X pace,\u2019 says coach Jeff Gaudette. \u2018Your pace needs to be comfortable. If you run faster than you should, it\u2019s going to hurt all the time and you\u2019ll never get to a point where you can do it for 30 minutes.\u2019 So, develop the endurance first \u2013 the speed will come later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For ease and motivation, map out a few safe, scenic, traffic-free routes that you can cover in various weather conditions and at various times during the day. There are many reliable running apps that can help you with this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider how you\u2019ll want to track your individual runs and overall progress. You could use a trusty notebook, a running app or one of the many GPS running watches on the market right now \u2013 there\u2019s one to suit all runners and price points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you start running, you may feel disheartened or worried that you aren\u2019t seeing instant changes in your appearance or improvements in your fitness \u2013 but don\u2019t panic. \u2018Be aware that it takes time to condition your muscles, ligaments and tendons,\u2019 says exercise physiologist Susan Paul. The physical and indeed mental benefits of running will soon follow, justifying your fantastic decision to start running in the first place.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"