How to Run Properly as a Beginner

If you’re new to running, learning how to run properly mostly comes down to going slower than you’re capable and building up gradually.

At Active Health Clinic Glasgow, our chartered physiotherapists and sports massage therapists treat first-timers building up their skills and experienced runners dealing with an injury that keeps coming back.

The benefits of running for beginners – Guide by Glasgow’s sports massage experts

Running has a great number of benefits.

Cardiovascular fitness builds quickly with regular exercise, so within a few weeks stairs and hills start to feel easier.

Taking up running also loads your bones, muscles and tendons, and over a few months they get stronger in response.

Running prompts your brain to release endorphins too, and a regular running routine can lift your mood and confidence as well as your physical fitness.

Running burns energy, so it supports weight loss when you combine it with changes to your diet.

How to start running with a run and walk plan

The easiest way to begin running is to alternate short running intervals with walking. This gives your tendons and bones time to catch up with your heart and lungs.

Your first four weeks of running

In week one, jog gently for one minute, walk for two and repeat that eight times, three days a week with a rest day between sessions.

Add a little running and take away a little walking each week, and by week four you’ll be running for three or four minutes at a time between short walks.

A running app or a Couch to 5K programme will time the intervals for you, and a running watch also helps you keep track.

Protect those three slots in your diary to keep consistency.

Building towards a 5k run

A 5k is a sensible first target, and a Couch to 5K programme reaches it in nine weeks.

Plan to run 5k without stopping by the final week, and note each run in the same app or on your phone to track your progress.

Choose running goals you control, such as completing every session on your plan for a month, before you set a target time.

Speed work and hill running can wait for a later training plan, once the 5k feels comfortable.

Finding the right running pace to begin

The talk test

The talk test keeps you at a conversational pace on any run.

If you can’t speak a full sentence, you’re going too fast, so slow down or walk for a minute the moment you start gasping.

An easy run should feel almost embarrassingly slow in the first few weeks, and you should finish it feeling you could have gone further.

It is vital to build up muscle and tendon strength before you work on endurance and speed.

Why slow running builds endurance

A slow pace helps you build endurance because it lets you collect more time on your feet with less strain on your tendons.

Running speed follows once you can run for 30 minutes without stopping.

At that point, swap a few minutes of easy jogging for one-minute stretches where you pick up the pace.

Between them, drop back to a conversational pace so you can run faster again on the next one.

Running technique and running form

For a new runner, we’d work on pace before focusing on form in the first few weeks.

An easy effort shortens your stride and lowers the impact through your legs without you having to think about it.

Posture and arm swing

Stand tall as though a string were lifting the crown of your head, keep your spine long and your shoulders low and loose.

Lean very slightly forward from the ankles with your torso straight.

Bend your arms at the elbow to roughly a right angle and let them swing forwards and back rather than across your body.

Keep your hands relaxed enough to hold a crisp without crushing it, because clenched fists tighten the shoulders and neck.

Foot strike and stride

Runners land on their heel, midfoot or forefoot, and no single correct running technique suits everyone, so don’t spend your first weeks trying to change how your foot lands.

Overstriding means the foot reaches out ahead of your body, which acts like a brake and loads the knee and shin.

A slightly higher cadence of shorter, quicker steps brings your foot back under your hips.

Change one thing at a time if you want to improve your form, such as a slightly shorter stride or a more relaxed arm swing.

Your running style is a habit, and your body needs several runs to adjust to any change.

Understanding your gait

Your gait is the way you walk and run, and it depends on how your hips, knees, ankles and feet share the load.

Small differences between the two sides are normal, but if one side keeps getting sore, an assessment of your strength and mobility can show whether a tight hip or a weak calf is causing it.

Our podiatrist treats foot and heel pain, which is worth having seen if your soreness sits below the knee.

Choosing the best running shoes and kit

Spend your money on a good pair of running shoes first, and choose the pair that feels comfortable from your first stride, whatever the brand or price.

A specialist running shop will let you try several pairs and jog a few strides in each. Leave about a thumb’s width of space beyond your longest toe and check that your heel doesn’t slip.

A pair of proper running shoes beats old gym trainers, and it needs replacing after roughly 300 to 500 miles, once the cushioning has flattened.

Beyond the shoes, the rest of your running gear can stay simple, with running socks to cut down on blisters and breathable clothing to stop you overheating.

Warming up and cooling down after a run

Five minutes of brisk walking, leg swings and a few bodyweight squats before every run warm your muscles and help your body move through a fuller range of motion at the hips and ankles.

Afterwards, walk until your breathing settles, then hold calf, quad and hip flexor stretches for 20 to 30 seconds each.

Drink some water and eat something with protein and carbohydrate within a couple of hours to replace the energy you’ve used.

Then let your body recover before the next session, since tired muscles do their repairing between runs.

How to reduce your risk of injury

Doing too much too soon is the usual route to a beginner running injury.

Increase your load gradually

We’d stick to the plan, add only a few minutes of running a week, and count rest days and sleep as part of the training.

Two short strength sessions a week, built around squats, calf raises and glute bridges, help prevent injury by making your calves and glutes strong enough to take load off the shins and Achilles tendons.

Pain you shouldn’t run through

Stop the run and rest for a few days if pain sharpens as you run, stays in one spot or is still there the next morning.

Shin splints, heel pain and knee pain are the problems that tend to appear first when the load climbs too fast.

You may also notice pain in your lower back.

When to have your pain looked at

If the pain hasn’t eased after a week of rest, or you’re returning to running after a break due to injury, book an assessment before you build back up, to reduce the risk of a repeat.

An assessment covers your training, your injury history and your goals, plus a physical check of your strength, mobility and movement.

Our chartered physiotherapists treat running injuries, and we use what we find to build a rehabilitation plan that brings you back to running in stages.

Sports massage and recovery between runs

Running loads the same muscles thousands of times in a single session, and for many runners the calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors tighten as the weeks add up.

In a sports massage, we use pressure, friction and stretching on the tissues that take the load, and it can ease tired muscles and improve your range of motion.

We’ll ask about recent injuries and what you want from the session, so tell us what you’re training for.

Our sports massage therapists and physiotherapists work in the same clinic, so we can refer you between them.

Beginner running questions answered

What is the 80% rule in running?

The 80% rule says roughly four in five of your runs should be at an easy, conversational pace, with only one in five at a hard effort. Keeping most runs easy leaves you fresh enough for consistent running and cuts the chance of an overuse injury. For a beginner, nearly every run should feel easy.

How should I breathe while running?

Breathe through your nose and mouth together, since your body needs more air than your nose alone can supply once you’re running. Counting your steps can help, such as in for three and out for two, but don’t force a pattern. If your breathing turns ragged, walk for a minute until it settles.

Is it normal for my legs to ache after a run?

Yes. Leg soreness for a day or two after a run is normal while the muscles adapt, and you can continue running at an easy pace as it eases. Easy walking keeps your legs moving, and our sports massage therapists can ease the tightness between runs.

Should I run on a treadmill or outside?

Both suit a beginner, though a treadmill gives you a softer surface and takes the weather out of the equation, while running outdoors prepares you better for hills and uneven ground.

Do I need a coach to improve my running technique?

You can build a solid base without a coach by following a running plan that mixes walking with easy running. A coach or an assessment becomes worth it when something keeps hurting, when progress stalls, or when you want to run longer distances and improve your running. A chartered physiotherapist can also watch how you move and pin down the cause of a recurring problem.

Get your first runs off to a good start with Active Health Clinic

If you’re returning to running after a long gap, dealing with an old injury or building up your distance, we’ll assess how you move and put together a plan around it.

A sports massage can ease tight muscles along the way, so you can keep enjoying your running as the distance grows.

When you’re ready to run, book online or call us on 07427 737 604, and let’s get you to that first 5k in good shape.