How to Start Running: An 8-Week Run-Walk Plan

Before your first workout

The WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour (2020) recommend that adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity (such as running) each week, plus muscle-strengthening activities twice a week. Running is one of the most affordable ways to meet these recommendations, but your body needs time to adapt.

• If you’re over 40, have been inactive for a long time, have high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, experience chest pain during exercise, or have a history of injuries, get a medical evaluation first.
• A comfortable shoe that fits your foot matters more than the brand or price. Replace it if the sole is badly worn.
• Choose cooler times of day and bring water when it’s hot.

8-week beginner plan

Do three workouts a week on alternate days. Always start with a 5-minute easy walk and finish with a 5-minute cooldown walk. Jog at a pace that lets you speak in short sentences.

Couldn’t complete a week? Repeat it. There’s no deadline—the safest progress is the kind your body can handle without ongoing pain.

Pace: the number that guides your workout

Pace is how long it takes you to cover 1 km. A pace of 7:00 min/km means 7 minutes per kilometer, or about 8.6 km/h. If you ran 3 km in 24 minutes, your pace was 8:00 min/km.

Use the Pace Calculator to convert time and distance into pace and speed, and estimate how long it would take you to finish a 5 km race at your pace. For example:

• 5 km in 40 minutes = 8:00 min/km pace;
• 5 km in 35 minutes = 7:00 min/km pace;
• 5 km in 30 minutes = 6:00 min/km pace (10 km/h).

For beginners, the rule is don’t chase your pace: most workouts should feel comfortable. You’ll get faster through consistency, not exhausting workouts.

How to tell if you’re working at the right intensity

No watch or heart rate monitor? You can gauge your effort with the talk test:

If you can’t speak at all during a jog, slow down or switch to walking. Finishing your workout feeling like you could do a little more is a good sign that you’re doing the right amount as a beginner. Mild muscle soreness for a day or two afterward is common during the first few weeks and should ease as your body adapts.

Common beginner mistakes

• Increasing everything at once: distance, frequency, and speed. Change one thing at a time.
• Running every day: muscles adapt quickly, but tendons and bones take longer. Rest days are part of training.
• Ignoring pain: mild muscle soreness is common; pain that gets worse as you run, makes you limp, or lasts for days is not.
• Skipping strength training: squats, glute bridges, and calf raises help your body handle the impact.
• Expecting quick results on the scale: running burns energy, and the Calorie Calculator can help you understand your daily energy expenditure, but weight also depends on diet, sleep, and other factors.

Seek medical care if you experience chest pain, unusual shortness of breath, dizziness, or palpitations during exercise.

Source: WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour (2020). Updated October 2026. This information is for educational purposes and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor, dietitian, or other healthcare professional.

Frequently asked questions