Blackburn Couch to 5K Delivers the 9 Week NHS Couch to 5k Plan
OUR COUCH TO 5K PLAN is based on 2 sessions each week
In it’s simplest terms we are using day two and day three of the traditional couch to 5K plan – this means that run leaders can still use their apps as timers.
Tip! Participants are encouraged to supplement this with one brisk walk of 60 minutes duration each week.
Week one
- Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then alternate 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking, for a total of 20 minutes. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Week two
- Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then alternate 90 seconds of running with 2 minutes of walking, for a total of 20 minutes. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Week three
- Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then two repetitions of 90 seconds of running, 90 seconds of walking, 3 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Week four
- Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2½ minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds of walking, 5 minutes of running. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Week five
- There are two different workouts for this week. They are as follows:
- Workout 1: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 8 minutes of running, 5 minutes of walking, 8 minutes of running. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
- Workout 2: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 20 minutes of running, with no walking. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Week six
- There are two different workouts for this week. They are as follows:
- Workout 1: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 10 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 10 minutes of running. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
- Workout 2: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 22 minutes of running with no walking. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Week seven
- Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes running. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Week eight
- Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 28 minutes of running. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Week nine
- Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 30 minutes of running. Finish with a 5-minute walk to warm down
Tips on progression
- The programme is designed for beginners to gradually build up their running ability to be able to run 5K without stopping.
- The pace of the nine-week running plan has been tried and tested by thousands of new runners, so you can trust the programme.
- You can, however, repeat any one of the weeks until you feel physically ready to move on to the next session.
- Structure is important for motivation, so try to allocate specific days in the week for your runs and stick to them.
- Rest days are critical. A rest day in between each run will reduce your chance of injury and will also make you a stronger, better runner.
- Resting allows your joints to recover from what is a high-impact exercise and your running muscles to repair and str
Tips on progression
- The programme is designed for beginners to gradually build up their running ability to be able to run 5K without stopping.
- You can, however, repeat any one of the weeks until you feel physically ready to move on to the next session.
- Structure is important for motivation, so try to allocate specific days in the week for your runs and stick to them.
- Rest days are critical. A rest day in between each run will reduce your chance of injury and will also make you a stronger, better runner.
- Resting allows your joints to recover from what is a high-impact exercise and your running muscles to repair and strengthen.