Here at Kick! we believe in starting off easy. Too many people have been turned off of running simply by trying to start off too fast. Their bodies rebel, and they wind up miserable, wondering why anyone would possibly want to do this to themselves.

You should ease into your running program gradually. In fact, the beginners' program we outline here is less of a running regimen than a walking and jogging program. The idea is to transform you from couch potato to runner, getting you running three miles regularly in just two months.

It's easy to get impatient, and you may feel tempted to skip ahead in the program, but hold yourself back. Don't try to do more, even if you feel you can. If, on the other hand, you find the program too strenuous, just stretch it out. Don't feel pressured to continue faster than you're able. Repeat weeks if needed and move ahead only when you feel you're ready.

Each session should take about 20 or 30 minutes, three times a week. That just happens to be the same amount of moderate exercise recommended by numerous studies for optimum fitness. This program will get you fit. (Runners who do more than this amount are doing it for more than fitness, and before long you might find yourself doing the same as well).

Be sure to space out these three days throughout the week to give yourself a chance to rest and recover between efforts. And don't worry about how fast you're going. Running faster can wait until your bones are stronger and your body is fitter. For now focus on gradually increasing the time or distance you run.

There are two ways to follow this program, to measure your runs by time or by distance. Either one works just as well, choose the option that seems easiest for you to keep track of. Both methods are presented for each workout. The distance option is in blue, and the time option is in green.

If you go with the distance option, and you are not using a track to measure the distances, just estimate. It's not important to have the distances absolutely exact.

Before setting out, make sure to precede each session with a five-minute warmup walk or jog. Be sure to stretch both before and after 

Before getting on with the details of the running program, you might want to bookmark this page so that you can easily return to check on your progress.

Week One

Same workout for all three days:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: Alternate jogging and walking every 100 yards for one mile (that's sixteen 100-yard segments, or eight each of walking and jogging). Walking segments should be brisk.

Time option: Alternate jogging and walking, with 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking. Do this for a total of 20 minutes.

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Week Two

Same workout for all three days:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: Alternate jogging and walking every 200 yards for 1.25 miles (that's ten 200-yard segments, or five each of walking and jogging).

Time option: Alternate jogging and walking, with 90 seconds of jogging and 2 minutes of walking. Do this for a total of 20 minutes.

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Week Three

Same workout for all three days:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: Alternate jogging and walking, varying the segments between 200 and 400 yards, for a total of 1.5 miles. That means you should do two repetitions of the following:

• Jog 200 yards.
• Walk 200 yards.
• Jog 400 yards.
• Walk 400 yards.

Time option: Alternate jogging and walking, doing each for the same amount of time. Vary the segments between 90 seconds and three minutes. That means you should do two repetitions of the following:

• Jog for 90 seconds.
• Walk for 90 seconds.
• Jog for three minutes.
• Walk for three minutes.

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Week Four

Same workout for all three days:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: Alternate jogging and walking, but walk only half the distance of each jog. Vary the jogging segments between 1/4 and 1/2 mile, for a total of 2 miles:

• Jog 1/4 mile.
• Walk 1/8 mile.
• Jog 1/2 mile.
• Walk 1/4 mile.
• Jog 1/4 mile.
• Walk 1/8 mile.
• Jog 1/2 mile.

Time option: Alternate jogging and walking, but walk only half the time you spend jogging. Vary the jogging segments between three minutes and five minutes, so that you do two jogging segments of each:

• Jog for three minutes.
• Walk for 90 seconds.
• Jog for five minutes.
• Walk for 2-1/2 minutes.
• Jog for three minutes.
• Walk for 90 seconds.
• Jog for five minutes.

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Week Five

Day One:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 1/2 mile jog, 1/4 mile walk, 1/2 mile jog, 1/4 mile walk, 1/2 mile jog. Total two miles.

Time option: jog five minutes, walk three minutes, jog five minutes, walk three minutes, jog five minutes.

Day Two:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 3/4 mile jog, 1/2 mile walk, 3/4 mile jog. Total two miles.

Time option: jog eight minutes, walk five minutes, jog eight minutes.

Day Three:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 2 mile jog, no walking.

Time option: jog 20 minutes, no walking.

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Week Six

Day One:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 1/2 mile jog, 1/4 mile walk, 3/4 mile jog, 1/4 mile walk, 1/2 mile jog. Total 2.25 miles.

Time option: jog five minutes, walk three minutes, jog eight minutes, walk three minutes, jog five minutes.

Day Two:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 1 mile jog, 1/4 mile walk, 1 mile jog. Total 2.25 miles.

Time option: jog ten minutes, walk three minutes, jog ten minutes.

Day Three:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 2.25 mile jog, no walking.

Time option: jog 25 minutes, no walking.

All jogging from now on. Feel free to vary the pace of the jog if needed.

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Week Seven

Same workout all three days:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 2.5 mile jog.

Time option: jog 25 minutes.

 

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Week Eight

Same workout all three days:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 2.75 mile jog.

Time option: jog 28 minutes.

 

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Week Nine

Same workout all three days:
Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: 3 mile jog.

Time option: jog 30 minutes.

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Taken from www.kicksports.com