The Couch to 5K nine-week plan

A week-by-week description of the nine-week set of Couch to 5K podcasts.

Week one
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then alternate 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.

Week two
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then alternate 90 seconds of running with 2 minutes of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.

Week three
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then two repetitions of 90 seconds of running, 90 seconds of walking, 3 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking.

Week four
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2 minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds of walking, 5 minutes of running.
Download the Couch to 5K podcasts Watch Laura talk about starting Couch to 5K

Week fi e
!here are three different workouts for this week. !he" are as follows# Workout !# a brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running. Workout "# a brisk 5-minute walk, then $ minutes of running, 5 minutes of walking, $ minutes of running. Workout ## a brisk 5-minute walk, then 20 minutes of running, with no walking.

Week si$
!here are three different workouts for this week. !he" are as follows# Workout !# a brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, $ minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running. Workout "# a brisk 5-minute walk, then %0 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, %0 minutes of running. Workout ## a brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes of running with no walking.

Week se en
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes running.

Week eight
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 2$ minutes of running.

Week nine
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 30 minutes of running.

Tips on progression
!he programme is designed for beginners to graduall" build up their running abilit" to be able to run 5& without stopping. !he pace of the nine-week running plan has been tried and tested b" thousands of new runners, so "ou can trust the programme. 'ou can, howe(er, repeat an" one of the weeks until "ou feel ph"sicall" read" to mo(e on to the ne)t podcast. *tructure is important for moti(ation, so tr" to allocate specific da"s in the week for "our runs and stick to them. +est da"s are critical. , rest da" in between each run will reduce "our chance of in-ur" and will also make "ou a stronger, better runner. +esting allows "our -oints to reco(er from what is a high-impact e)ercise and "our running muscles to repair and strengthen. ,lternati(el", "ou could do *trength and .le) on "our rest da"s. !his is a 5-week plan designed to impro(e "our strength and fle)ibilit", which will help "our running. *ome new runners starting the programme e)perience calf pain or sore shins /sometimes known as shin splints0. *uch aches can be caused b" running on hard surfaces or b" running in shoes that do not ha(e enough foot and ankle support. ,lwa"s do the the 5-minute warm-up walks as instructed in the podcasts before each run and check that "our running shoes are offering good support. .or more information on pre(enting and treating in-uries, read this section on sports in-uries. 'ou will ha(e good runs and bad runs. ,ccept it and don1t spend too much time anal"sing the how and wh". 2(en a bad run is good for "ou.

Couch to 5K
+egular running can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, t"pe 2 diabetes and stroke, boost "our mood and keep "our weight under control. 3n this (ideo, watch how 4aura went from a fitness phobe to a keen runner with the 5ouch to 5& programme. 6edia last re(iewed# %5706720%2 8e)t re(iew due# %5706720%9 :age last re(iewed# %5709720%2 8e)t re(iew due# %5709720%9