How to Start Running (and Keep Going)

Every January, running shoes come out of closets all over the country, and a few weeks later most of them go back in. Strava looked at more than 108 million activities logged by its U.S. users and found the steepest drop-off on a single mid-January day, which it named "Quitter's Day" (GearJunkie, reporting Strava's data). The people who stop usually aren't lazy. They started too fast, got sore or hurt, or never found a version of running they could repeat.

This guide is built around those two problems. Starting to run is mostly about doing less than you think you should, often enough that it becomes routine, at an effort easy enough that you want to come back. Everything below, from walk breaks to shoes to the first eight weeks, serves that goal, and each section links to a deeper guide when you want more.

How much running do you actually need?

Less than most beginners assume. A study that followed 55,137 adults for 15 years found that runners had a 30 percent lower risk of dying from any cause and a 45 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease or stroke than non-runners, and lived about three years longer on average. The benefit showed up even in people who ran less than 51 minutes a week, ran slower than 6 miles per hour, or ran only once or twice a week (American College of Cardiology, summarizing Lee et al., 2014).

A later meta-analysis pooling 14 studies and more than 232,000 people reached a similar conclusion: any amount of running was linked to a 27 percent lower risk of early death, even at about one run a week, and the researchers found no evidence that running more added further benefit (Victoria University, summarizing Pedisic et al., 2020). The CDC counts running as vigorous activity, which means 75 minutes a week meets the national guideline for adults (CDC).

That changes what a good first goal looks like. You don't need to run every day or cover a set distance. Three short sessions a week is already enough to matter, and it's a much easier habit to keep than an ambitious one.

Start with walk breaks

The most reliable way to start running is to not run the whole time. Nearly every established beginner program mixes running with walking and slowly shifts the balance.

The NHS Couch to 5K plan, one of the most widely used, runs three times a week for nine weeks with rest days in between. Week one alternates 1 minute of running with 90 seconds of walking, and by the end of the plan you're running for 30 minutes without stopping. The NHS is explicit that you can take longer than nine weeks if you need to (NHS). Hal Higdon's 30/30 plan for people who have never run takes a similar approach, with 30 minutes of mixed walking and running on 30 straight days, and a 30/60 version that spreads it over 60 days for anyone who needs more recovery (Hal Higdon via TrainingPeaks).

Walking isn't only for beginners, either. In a study of 42 recreational runners preparing for a marathon, one group walked for 1 minute every 1.5 miles. They finished about 7 minutes slower on average, a difference that wasn't statistically meaningful, but fewer than 5 percent reported extreme exhaustion afterward compared with more than 40 percent of the group that ran the whole way (Live Science, summarizing Hottenrott et al., 2016; PubMed). Experienced runners say the same thing when asked what they'd tell their beginner selves: walking is a legitimate tool, not a sign you're doing it wrong (r/XXRunning).

How slow is slow enough?

Slower than feels natural. The most common beginner mistake is running every run as hard as possible, which makes each one miserable and leaves you too sore to come back two days later.

The simplest gauge is the talk test. Exercise physiologists Carl Foster and John Porcari found that the point where you can still speak comfortably sits just below your first ventilatory threshold, the intensity where breathing starts to climb sharply. When talking becomes hesitant, you've reached that threshold, and when you can't hold a conversation at all, you're well past it (ACE). For a new runner, the running segments should stay in the comfortable zone, even if that means a pace that feels barely faster than walking.

It also helps to expect the first few minutes to feel worse than the rest. Your breathing and heart rate take time to settle, which is one reason experienced runners warn that the first mile is a poor guide to how the whole run will go (r/XXRunning). The easy run guide goes deeper on why slow running builds fitness and how to tell when you're pushing too hard.

Breathing and side stitches

There's no special breathing technique you need to learn before you start. Breathe through your mouth and nose together, in whatever rhythm feels natural. If you're gasping, that's a pace problem rather than a breathing problem: slow down or walk until you can pass the talk test again.

Nasal-only breathing gets a lot of attention online. A review by exercise scientist George Dallam suggested it can make steady running slightly more economical, but the athletes in that work took anywhere from six weeks to six months to adapt to it (Triathlete, summarizing Dallam's review). It's something to experiment with later, not a skill you need in week one.

Side stitches, the sharp pain just under your ribs, are also normal. In a survey of 439 runners, 69 percent reported getting one in the past year, and researchers still aren't certain what causes them (Morton and Callister, 2000). Most runners find that slowing to a walk, breathing deeply and pressing gently on the spot lets it fade within a few minutes.

How often to run, and how fast to build

Three days a week, with a rest or walking day between runs, is the standard starting point for a reason. New runners get hurt more often than experienced ones: a review of running injury studies found novice runners averaged 17.8 injuries per 1,000 hours of running, compared with 7.7 for recreational runners (Videbæk et al., 2015). Your heart and lungs adapt within weeks. Tendons, bones and connective tissue take months, and they're what get overloaded when you add too much too soon.

The research doesn't support any single rule for how fast to build, but it does point to big jumps as the problem. A year-long study of 874 new runners found that those who increased their weekly distance by more than 30 percent over two weeks appeared more vulnerable to overuse injuries such as runner's knee and IT band syndrome (Nielsen et al., 2014). In practice that means adding a little running time each week, repeating a week whenever the last one felt hard, and treating rest days as part of the plan rather than a break from it. The rest day guide explains what actually happens on those days.

What shoes should a beginner buy?

You don't need the most expensive pair or a shoe matched to your foot type. You need one that feels comfortable when you run in it.

For years, running shoe advice centered on pronation, the way your foot rolls inward when it lands, and on cushioning impact. A 2015 review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded there's no conclusive evidence that either pronation or impact forces predict running injuries. The authors proposed a simpler approach they called the comfort filter: runners tend to pick the shoe that feels most comfortable, and that choice may already be the one that suits how they move (Nigg et al., 2015). A study of 927 new runners who were all given the same neutral shoe found that runners who over- or under-pronated were not injured more often than runners with neutral feet over the following year (Aarhus University, summarizing Nielsen et al., 2014).

The practical version: go to a running store if you can, try several shoes, jog a few steps in each, and buy the one you stop noticing. A mid-priced daily trainer from any major brand will do the job. The gear reviews cover specific shoes once you know what you like.

Don't overthink your form

Most beginners don't need a form overhaul, and trying to copy an elite runner's stride usually makes things worse. The one change with decent evidence behind it is small: shortening your stride slightly by taking quicker steps.

In a study of 45 recreational runners, increasing step rate by 5 percent at the same speed reduced energy absorbed at the knee by about 20 percent, and a 10 percent increase reduced it by about 34 percent (Heiderscheit et al., 2011). If you notice yourself reaching out in front with each step, think "quick and light" and let your feet land closer under your body. Otherwise, run tall, keep your shoulders loose, and let your arms swing naturally.

Add two days of strength training

The CDC recommends muscle-strengthening work on at least two days a week for all adults, in addition to aerobic exercise (CDC), and it's one of the most common things experienced runners wish they had started sooner (r/XXRunning).

The injury evidence is strong, though not running-specific. A meta-analysis of exercise programs across sports found that strength training cut injuries to less than a third of the rate in control groups, while stretching showed no protective effect (Lauersen et al., 2014). For a new runner, 20 minutes twice a week of squats, lunges, step-ups, calf raises and a plank is plenty. Single-leg exercises are especially useful, since running is a long series of single-leg landings.

Making it stick

Fitness is the easy part. The harder part is still running in March.

Habits take longer to form than the popular "21 days" suggests. In a well-known study of how people build new daily habits, it took an average of 66 days for a new behavior to feel automatic, and missing a single day didn't significantly set people back. Being inconsistent for long stretches did (UCL, summarizing Lally et al., 2010). So aim for consistency over perfection, and don't treat one missed run as the end of the streak.

Two other things seem to help. Strava's data found that people exercising with friends went farther, and that most athletes who set a goal through the app were still active nine months later (GearJunkie, reporting Strava's data). A running buddy, a beginner group at a local running store, or a free weekly parkrun gives you somewhere to be. A race on the calendar, even a casual 5K a couple of months out, gives the training a point.

Soreness, pain and when to stop

Some soreness is normal in the first few weeks, especially in your calves and the front of your shins. General muscle soreness that fades as you warm up, or within a day or two, is your body adapting.

Pain is different. Sharp or localized pain, pain that gets worse as you run, pain that changes how you move, or pain in a bone that's tender to the touch are reasons to stop and rest rather than push through. Shin pain that sharpens over several runs is worth taking seriously, because it can progress into a stress injury if you keep running on it. If something doesn't improve after a few days of rest, see a doctor or physical therapist. When to take a break from running walks through the difference in more detail. And if you have a heart condition, other health concerns, or haven't exercised in a long time, check with your doctor before you start.

Your first eight weeks

Every good beginner plan follows the same arc, even when the details differ. Use this as a guide to how things should feel rather than a strict schedule.

Weeks 1 and 2. Three sessions a week of 20 to 30 minutes, mostly walking, with short running intervals of a minute or so. Every running segment should pass the talk test. If you finish feeling like you could have done more, that's exactly right.

Weeks 3 and 4. The running segments get longer and the walk breaks get shorter. Some sessions will feel harder than others, which is normal. Repeat a week if the last one left you sore for more than a day.

Weeks 5 and 6. Running starts to make up most of each session. This is usually where the first continuous 10 or 15 minutes happens, and where the temptation to speed up arrives. Keep the pace easy.

Weeks 7 and 8. You're building toward 20 to 30 minutes of continuous easy running. If a structured plan helps, the NHS Couch to 5K runs nine weeks and finishes at 30 minutes, and it's fine to take longer than that (NHS).

What comes after

Once 30 minutes of easy running feels routine, you have a base to build on. A 5K is the natural first race, and the race lottery calendar tracks registration for bigger events once you're thinking further ahead. From there, the next steps are adding one longer run a week, covered in the long run guide, and eventually a little faster running, covered in the tempo run guide. When you're running three or four miles comfortably a few times a week, you're ready for half marathon training.

FAQ

How do I start running if I'm out of shape?

Start with more walking than running. Alternate 1 minute of easy running with 90 seconds of walking for 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week, and add a little running each week. Plans like Couch to 5K are built for exactly this starting point, and repeating weeks is part of the process.

How many days a week should a beginner run?

Three, with a rest or walking day between each run. That's enough to build fitness and gives your tendons and bones time to adapt. Once you've been running consistently for a couple of months, you can add a fourth day.

Is it OK to walk during a run?

Yes. Walk breaks are built into most beginner plans, and even marathoners use them. In one study, runners who took 1-minute walk breaks finished a marathon in a statistically similar time and reported far less exhaustion afterward.

How long until running gets easier?

Many beginners find runs start to feel easier within the first month as their heart and lungs adapt. Feeling like running is routine takes longer. Research on habit formation suggests about two months on average, so stick with it through the second month.

How should I breathe when I run?

Through your mouth and nose, however feels natural. If you can't catch your breath, you're running too fast. Slow down until you could hold a conversation.

What shoes should a beginner buy?

A comfortable, mid-priced daily trainer. Research doesn't support choosing shoes based on pronation, so try a few pairs, jog in them if you can, and pick the one that feels best.

Should running hurt?

Mild, general soreness in the first few weeks is normal. Sharp, localized or worsening pain is not. Stop and rest if pain changes how you run, and see a doctor or physical therapist if it doesn't improve after a few days.