Running Program: Try This Simple But Very Practical Workout  

Not a natural born runner? Given it a go and you will discover that it hurts....a lot? Well, that may be because you haven't followed a running program.  

No doubt you decided to get fit and lose weight and you have seen the gorgeous girls in Lycra running like a gazelle and the toned guys sprinting up and down hills like there is no tomorrow. So what do you do? You do your best sports wear (in my case an old pair of sweat pants and layered vests and old t shirts – sexy) and attempt to keep up with the other runners or joggers in the gym or at you park. About 5 minutes after you start, you collapse on the floor, gasping for air, feeling like a failure and possibly crying like a baby – maybe that was just me though! 

My mistake, and many want to be runners out there, was to do too much too quickly. Trying to run too far or too fast will no doubt leave you feeling deflated.  

So what do you do? You get yourself a running program.  

Firstly, you need to begin with running for three times a week – not every day and your running speed and times will be reduced greatly.  

If you are a brand new runner, you need to start by running for two minutes and walking for one. By doing this 5 times, you will have run for ten minutes without he need of any paramedics – good a? 

This may not seem like much and you may feel that you shouldn't walk (like I did) but Rome wasn't built in a day. You need to realise, as I did, that when you start it is tough. Looking at other people and wanting to run at their speed and their level straight away is not going to happen – deal with it!

The following week you need to try to run for three minutes and walk for one and again, try to do this 5 times.  

The third week, you need to keep the running and walking ratio the same, but try to fit in another session – so four times a week now. Do this for the following week also.  

By slowly increasing your running program as dictated here, you should be able to run for thirty minutes nonstop in about 8 weeks. A massive improvement from your initial two minute run.  

Keep with the program and remember that everyone had to start from the beginning at some point.