As the festive season winds down and the New Year begins, many of us are eager to set fitness goals and embrace a healthier lifestyle. Running is one of the most popular choices for starting a fitness journey. It is easy to begin running, little equipment or time is needed, but large fitness and mental health gains can occur when out for a short run. If you’re a new runner looking to get fit in 2025, take a look at our beginner runner tips for getting started and avoiding injuries.
1. Set Realistic Beginner Runner Goals
Clients are always eager to grab their shoes and start running, but it is important to set sensible and achievable goals. It is suggested that 43% of people give up their New Year fitness goal by the end of January. This is usually because they set the level too high and demotivation leads to the inevitable end, either giving up, or getting injured.
The key to starting and continuing running is to start achievable plans, such as running a certain distance or time, and gradually increase your targets. We suggest beginner runners start with a Walk / Run program. You can get pre-made programs, such as the Couch to 5K program, which is free. Or you can make your own plan up, take a look at our basic running plan below. But if you would like something more specific to your aims… perhaps you have your heart set on a Marathon or a inflatable run this year, we can help create you a bespoke beginner runner program to get you to the finish line.
Basic Beginner Runner program
Try to repeat each run twice a week before moving on to the next week.
- Week One – Walk 1 minute, Run 1 minute – repeat 4 times. Total time out per run = 8 mins.
- Week Two – Walk 1 minute, Run 2 minute – repeat 4 times. Total time out per run = 12 mins.
- Week Three – Walk 1 minute, Run 3 minute – repeat 4 times. Total time out per run = 16 mins.
- Week Four – Walk 1 minute, Run 4 minute – repeat 4 times. Total time out per run = 20 mins.
As you can see the running element increases by 1 minute per week. At the end of 4 weeks give your body a rest week, so either take the running time down by one minute or have a full week off. The aim is to lower the load on the body to allow it to recover and adapt. Then continue building again as you go through weeks 5-8 and again have a rest week at the end of the 4 week period.
2. Understand Your Biomechanics
Every runner is unique, and understanding your biomechanics can make a significant difference in your likelihood to continue running long term. If running feels hard, you aren’t achieving your goals or you start feeling pain while you run, you are very likely to stop and not restart. it is important that beginner runners start with the correct running gait from the very outset as it limits your injury risk, as well as making running more enjoyable.
At The Reinge Clinic, we specialise in all things running. Whether you are just starting out or are an elite runner. We can help beginner runners by making sure they run with a good gait, ensure the shoes they choose are the right ones for them and check out any imbalances or weaknesses they may be starting with. By analysing your movement patterns, we can help you optimise your running form and reduce the risk of injuries such as shin splints, knee pain or plantar fasciitis.
Take a look at our running assessment options here.
3. Preventing and Managing Injuries
Injuries are one of the main reasons many beginner runners abandon their running dreams. Common issues like knee pain, IT band syndrome, and Achilles tendonitis can often be avoided with proper running form. Here are some tips:
- Ensure the shoe you choose is right for your body. Our article goes into more depth on this, but a simple pair of shoes is usually perfect for beginner runners. Simple shoes encourage a mid foot strike, which helps to keep forces in your foot and stop them running up through your knees and hips.
- Warm up before runs, especially if the weather is cold. A perfect warm up is a 3-5 min walk which slowly gets faster, followed by a 3 minute slow jog before you start to run in earnest.
- Cool downs are important. A cool down is just the reverse of a warm up, so make sure you don’t go from running to stopping! Make sure you go back through the light jog and walking stages before you stop. When you run your heart rate increases, this is so you can pump oxygen faster to the muscles so they can contract and allow you to move. By doing a cool down you allow this heart rate to slow steadily rather than instantly and this is good for removing lactate build up in the muscles, which can lead to stiffness a day or two later.
- Stretch after your run…. the point of stretching is to help the muscles to return to the same length they were before you started running. Many beginner runners stretch before the run, but this isn’t the best option. When you run, muscles have to work and they shorten as they work. If you don’t stretch them, they remain in a shortened position which can create pain and later down the line injuries. Stretching after you run, is a great way to return the muscle length back to it’s pre exercise length, helping limit muscle stiffness at the same time.
If you do experience discomfort or pain, don’t ignore it. firstly grab an ice pack and ice the affected area for 10 minutes at a time, repeat every hour if you can. This will calm any inflammation in the muscles. If the pain persists or starts again as soon as you start running, give us a call. Our physiotherapy and sports therapy services are designed to address these problems, helping you recover quickly and get back on track with your running goals.
4. Build a Beginner Runner Routine That Lasts
When you are a beginner runner, Sticking to a routine can be challenging, especially during the colder months. Here are a few strategies to stay motivated:
- Schedule your runs as part of your weekly calendar, if it is at the same time and day every week, it is more likely to become habit and therefore be done. If you schedule it in your diary, you are more likely to keep the time free.
- Track your progress with apps or journals. It is really useful to see that you are improving especially if you feel like you aren’t. Apps, like the popular app Strava are great for beginner runners as they give you feedback on your runs, where you went, how long you ran for, the distance you travelled. For some people this can be really motivating.
- Don’t forget to rest! It is hard to stay motivated if you are feeling tired or achy. By building in a rest week every 4th week, you allow your body to rest and are less likely to feel over tired or sore. Use that week to celebrate another month of running.
- Running with a friend really helps motivation. When you agree to meet someone to go for a run, the sence of responsibility to turn up can really help you out of the house on a cold morning. Running groups, such as Kenilworth Runners and Spa Striders are another great option for beginner runners. You make friends and socialise whilst enjoying a run.
5. Don’t Skip Recovery
Recovery is just as important as training for beginner runners. As discussed above, incorporate rest days into your plan and consider booking in for a Sports Massage on your rest week to keep your muscles healthy and flexible. At The Reinge Clinic, our sports massage services are tailored to support runners, as we loosen you, we can see whether your muscles are balanced, or if one leg is working harder than another, for example. A possible sign that the running gait needs to be looked at.
We can also see whether one specific area is overly tight, For example, one calf may feel overly tight compared to another. This may indicate you are loading that calf more for some reason. This may be because you have a weak foot on that side and the calf is helping by stabilising the ankle. It may be that you have a weak hamstring on that side and again the calf is assisting. We can identify these early stage niggles with a massage and then delve deeper with a Physiotherapy, Sports Therapy or Running Assessment to ensure this area is rebalanced before any injury occurs.
Every runner, whether a beginner runner, or an elite runner would benefit from a regular sports massage. So it is worth getting into the habit early in your running journey to ensure you keep those twinges at bay.
Take the First Step with The Reinge Clinic
Starting a running journey is an exciting step toward better health. There is no reason for running to be painful or cause injuries. If you follow the suggestions above, to build up slowly, try to have a good running gait and stretch regularly, there is no reason you should get injured.
To ensure you start strong and stay injury-free as a beginner runner, The Reinge Clinic is here to support Warwickshire runners every step of the way. From Biomechanical Assessments for runners to Physiotherapy and Sports Massage for runners, we aim to help beginner runners start the right way. Get in touch to find out more.
