Are you looking to take up running lose weight, increase your fitness or manage stress, but don't know exactly how you should start? Fortunately, you don't have to start running full speed the first day only to wear yourself out and give up all together. With a little patience and some time you can be a runner in no time and have the body to prove it! I have outlined a beginners plan to help kick start your inner runner! Each week you will increase the amount of time that you are actually running and within a matter of weeks you will be up to thirty minutes.

Week 1
Before every run you will need to warm up at a comfortable pace to get your muscles ready. Begin with a warm-up for 5 minutes walking at a comfortable pace. Start out going 3.5-4.0 mph on a treadmill. Next you will alternate 4 minutes of walking with 1 minute of jogging (5 mph). Do this for 30 minutes.

Cool down with 5 minutes of walking. At the end of your cool down also do some stretching to help elongate your muscles and give them the break and stretch they deserve. Total Time: 40 minutes

Week 2
Again you will need to warm-up for 5 minutes walking at a comfortable pace. Start out going 3.5-4.0 mph on a treadmill.
Each week increase your jogging minutes and decrease your walking minutes.
So week two you may do 3 minutes of walking alternated with 2 minutes of jogging. Do this for 30 minutes.
Cool down with 5 minutes of walking. Remember to stretch those muscles!

Week 3
Begin with a warm-up for 5 minutes walking at a comfortable pace. Start out going 3.5-4.0 mph on a treadmill.
The third week you can continue to do same intervals as week two to help build up your endurance.
Cool down with 5 minutes of walking.

Week 4
Begin with a warm-up for 5 minutes walking at a comfortable pace. Start out going 3.5-4.0 mph on a treadmill.
You will be walking 2 minutes and alternate with 3 minutes of jogging for 30 minutes.
Cool down with 5 minutes of walking.

Week 5
Begin with a warm-up for 5 minutes walking at a comfortable pace. Start out going 3.5-4.0 mph on a treadmill.
You will be walking 1 minute and alternating with 4 minutes of jogging.
Cool down with 5 minutes of walking.

Week 6
Begin with a warm-up for 5 minutes walking at a comfortable pace. Jog for 30 minutes straight at 5.0 mph on a treadmill.
Cool down with 5 minutes of walking. You are officially a runner! Great Job!

If you feel you need to repeat a week two times in a row, by all means go ahead! Do not rush yourself. If you push yourself too hard you can get injured and you will have to start all over. Make sure to give yourself off days in between your runs as well. Your body needs the recovery time. On your days that you do not run you can incorporate some weight training to build muscle and or cross train with other activities such as biking or swimming.