START WITH 30 SECS
We don’t assume anything. We don’t expect you to be able to run on day one. All you need is to be able to do some exercise safely, and to really want to get fitter.
LEARN TO JOG
You can’t expect to jump off your couch and suddenly perform like Mo Farah. We know that, and we want to help you be comfortable with a gradual progression.
AVOID INJURIES
Runners do sometimes suffer from injuries. Maybe you’ve tried jogging but it got sore and you gave up. We’ll show how to get fit with the minimum risk.
SUCCEED
Thousands of people have followed Couch to 5K programmes. They got off their bums, became fitter, healthier and probably lost weight. You can too!
A GRADUAL ROUTE TO FITNESS.
Over ten weeks, you’ll go from a couch potato to a real runner.
Week 1: Group day 7th April
We talk about the programme. Learning to get ready to jog -
Week 2: Group day 14th April
Warm up walk and exercises. Jog 6 x 1.5 minutes, 2 minutes walking between. Post-
Week 3: Group day 21st April
Warm up walk and exercises. Jog 1.5 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes. Then jog 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes. Then repeat. Post-
Week 4: Group day 28th April
Warm up walk and exercises. Jog 3 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes. Then jog 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes. Jog 3 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes. Then jog 5 minutes. Post-
Week 5: Group day 5th May
The scheme has three different workouts for week 5. We do run 1 as a group - jog 5 mins, walk 3 mins, jog 5 mins, walk 3 mins, jog 5 mins.
Your first midweek workout is a repeat of run 1.
Your second midweek workout is (predictably) run 2 - jog 8 mins, walk 5 mins, jog 8 mins.
Week 6: Group day 12th May
We do the week 5 workout 3 together -
Jog 20 minutes! But don’t worry - you’re ready for this.
The scheme has three different workouts for week 6. During the week, you do workouts 1 and 2 on your own.
Workout 1 goes back to partly jogging and partly walking - jog 5 mins, walk 3, jog 8 mins, walk 3 mins, jog 5 mins.
Workout 2 consists of jog 10 mins, walk 3 mins, jog 10 mins.
Download the week 6 podcast (group workout).
Week 7: Group day 19th May
We do the week 6 workout 3 together -
Run 25 minutes without walking.
The week 7 workout also involves running 25 minutes without walking. During the week, you do this twice on your own.
Week 8: Group day 26th May
Run 28 minutes without walking.
Week 9: Group day 2nd June
Run 30 minutes without walking.
Week 10: Group day 9th June
Week 10 is our bonus week - there is no podcast for this week.
Discounts for those on state benefits is made possible thanks to funding from Scotch Whisky Investments.
Slimming World Ladybank sponsors our Couch to 5K programme.
What To Wear
You don’t need anything fancy!
All you really need is a pair of well-fitting trainers and comfortable clothes - nothing too tight. Ideally, have a breathable top for when it rains, and a wooly hat if it’s cold.
As you get more experienced, you’ll discover more about clothing and other stuff you might want to acquire. These are all optional and not required for our programme.
Is There A Minimum Age?
Unfortunately, yes.
We have a minimum age of 18 years old. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that if we work with children, we may be liable for PVG checking, and our Jog Leaders are not currently subject to this.
In addition, we have to be careful when considering adolescents, whose bodies are not fully matured and for whom this programme may be inappropriate.
We may be able to allow children between 16 and 18 to do our workouts alongside the main group as long as they are accompanied by an adult who has registered for and is participating in the programme. If you would be interested in more information, just let us know.
Can I Bring My Pet?
Unfortunately, no.
Although most members would be happy to let your well-behaved pets run alongside the group on a short leash, it can be a problem for some. Because we want to remove as many barriers to participation as possible, we can’t allow pets to join us on runs.
Guide Dogs & Assistance Dogs.
Where a participant needs a guide dog or assistance dog to assist them on a session, it will, of course, be made very welcome. However, there are a few formalities that we have to go through together. Before your first session, therefore, please let us know that you will be accompanied by your assistance dog.
If you are a participant who is likely to be affected by the presence of an assistance dog (e.g. if you are a sensitive to dog allergens), please discuss with us what steps we can take to reduce this risk.