How to start running today: a beginner's guide

Getting out the door is the hardest part of running. But once you build routine into your life you'll find yourself itching to get out. You may be a beginner with no experience but that doesn't mean running isn't for you.

You have to start where you are, not where you think you should be. It's all about building up gradually and allowing the body to adapt.

Let's get started!

Your goal is to: get motivated

‘Once it’s a habit, exercise feels easier and doesn’t take as much willpower when you don’t feel like it,’ says Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit.

Make a plan: Duhigg says every habit is made up of a group of cues (time, place, music, other people); a reward (chocolate, massage, smoothie); and a routine (the workout). Write down your cues and rewards and post your plan somewhere you can see it.

Keep it regular: Run at the same time of day and listen to the same pre-workout music. ‘The cues have to be consistent,’ says Duhigg. ‘You’re creating neural pathways that make the activity a habit.’

Reward yourself: Treat yourself to something you enjoy straight after you exercise, so your brain associates exercise with an immediate reward. ‘You have to teach the brain through experience,’ says Duhigg.

Build a support system: Equip your routine with things that will make you feel good, says Duhigg. Run with friends or go to a parkrun, and track your miles so you can see your progress.