Walk to Run Program 12 Weeks – What Should You Know?

As a new runner, you may be excited to lace the shoes and head out the door, but in reality, it is a little more complicated than that. First, you may not even be able to run that far. Secondly, we need to allow adequate time for the bones, muscles, and tendons to recover.

If you try to speed this up, you might find that you get injured, demotivated, or even fatigued within the first weeks of running. So as a beginner, take your time and increase the running gradually each week.

To help the body adapt to running safely, start by following a walk to run program. These walk-to-run training plans are usually between 10-12 weeks in length and take you from the sofa to 5 km in a matter of months.

The walk to run program focuses on introducing small amounts of running with walking. The program then slowly increases the duration of each run and over time removes the walking. This type of structure is beneficial to the new runner in the early stages of running as it doesn’t overload the body too much.

While there are numerous versions of walking and running programs available online, don’t just pick the first one you see. The program must fit your lifestyle and allow adequate time for the body to adapt to running. Remember, weight, fitness, and health are all something to take into account when starting running.

Remember, everyone is different, and what may work for one person may not work for another.

Walk to Run Program 12 Weeks

There are many variations of running and walking programs online. These typically range anywhere from 10 weeks up to 12 and 16 weeks and usually include three runs or more per week.

– Walk to run program 10 Weeks
– Walk to run program 12 Weeks
– Walk to run program 14 Weeks
– Walk to run program 16 Weeks

Knowing which plan to choose requires some knowledge of your current fitness. So if you have no prior exercise behind you, start with the 16-week program. The 16-week plan will allow adequate time for your cardiovascular system to adjust, which is essential for someone that hasn’t been active in a long time.

Alternatively, if you are coming from another sport, you will need less time for the cardiovascular system to respond. Because of this, a 12-week walk-to-run plan should be sufficient for this type of person.

Both types of plans usually include three days per week running and split throughout the week to allow optimal recovery between each workout.

If you are looking to start running, SportCoaching has numerous training plans available for the beginner runner. You can find these training plans here.