Running wellness program for beginners

Author: Konstantin Vorontsov - athletic coach.
2018-06-19

Running is the most accessible form of physical activity, requiring no special equipment or sports facilities. Health-oriented running can be practiced all year round and in any weather conditions, in parks, on streets, at stadiums, in forests, etc. Such activities strengthen the body and enhance overall health. How to plan running workouts at the initial stage and derive maximum benefit from them will be discussed further.

How Much to Run to Be Healthy?

The first step is the hardest for beginners. However, overcoming it and adhering to the outlined program allows for good results. The parameters of running load include the duration of training and its intensity. In the initial stages of preparation, you should gradually increase the duration of the load (the number of kilometers or the time spent training), and then work on its intensity (running pace, heart rate). Following this rule will significantly impact your success in running.

According to most specialists, the optimal volume of health-oriented running for a person is 30 - 40 km per week. The duration of running in one session should be at least 30 minutes. This allows you to achieve positive health effects and increase your overall work capacity.

Before you can handle this volume of load, it is necessary to prepare your body. Every person is unique, so some may be able to perform this volume after a couple of months of regular training, while others might need six months. This depends on several factors: gender, age, anthropometric characteristics, work schedule, etc.

How to Determine Your Fitness Level?

Before starting your training, take a short test. This will help you determine your fitness level and plan your upcoming load.

Before the test, walk for 3-5 minutes, then perform a small set of general development exercises for 5-7 minutes: bends and circular torso, arm, and leg movements, various strength exercises for the arms, legs, and torso, relaxation exercises, etc. Then, run a distance at a comfortable pace until you feel breathless and record the time taken to cover that distance.

Don’t deceive yourself; at the first signs of discomfort, stop running, switch to walking, and restore a normal breathing rhythm. This time will serve as your starting point for planning future workouts.

How to Calculate Training Intensity?

After completing the test, you need to calculate the intensity at which you will train. It is known that, for health benefits, the running speed should not exceed 90% of the VO2 max (maximum oxygen consumption) level. This level is monitored with the heart rate. A VO2 max level of 50% and 80% approximately corresponds to heart rates of 65% and 85% of the maximum possible heart rate for each age period. Resting heart rates decrease from about 100 beats/min to 60 beats/min as you age.

To calculate your running parameters, you can estimate the optimal heart rate using the formula: 180 beats/min minus your age in years. For example, if you are 30 years old, your heart rate will be 180-30=150 beats/min.

In the initial stages of training, it is not recommended to increase intensity above this value. After running, the heart rate for people aged 20-30 should be 130-140 beats/min, for ages 30-40 - 120-130 beats/min, for ages 40-50 - 110-120 beats/min, and for those over 50 - 100-110 beats/min.

How to Plan Workouts (Stage I)?

The training scheme can look as follows (by F.P. Suslov):

• Day 1 - Running test
• Day 2 - Rest
• Day 3 - Slow running for the duration determined by the running test. The intensity (heart rate) is calculated based on the previous point.
• Day 4 - Rest
• Day 5 - Same as Day 3
• Day 6 - Rest
• Day 7 - +15-20% to the volume of slow running from Day 3 with the same intensity.

After seven days, a rest period of two days is necessary, and then repeat this cycle without the running test and with an adjusted load level. Each week, the duration of the fourth workout increases by 15-20%. The goal of this training stage is to gradually increase the continuous running duration to 20-30 minutes. It is important to maintain intensity within the specified parameters at this stage and not rush to increase it. After completing the first stage, you can move on to the second stage.

How to Continue Training (Stage II)?

At this stage, planning weekly and monthly loads becomes very important. The physiological basis for planning is the regularities of recovery after workouts. The approximate model recommended by V.M. Volkov and E.G. Milner looks like this (the volume of running load is given in minutes):

Alternating large, medium, and small loads throughout the week allows for optimal recovery of bodily functions. If 20-30 minutes of continuous running is quite a strenuous job for you at the first stage, the duration of workouts should initially be the same, with the progression tailored so that you adapt to the new load over several months.

After 4-6 months of regular training, it is recommended to periodically check your fitness level with the 12-minute Cooper running test.

After several years of such training, you may take it a step further and increase your functional capabilities. For this, an upper-limit load is introduced, which is planned within a two-week cycle, allowing you to alternate it both in volume and intensity. For instance, a longer training session is conducted at a heart rate of no more than 130-140 beats/min, the second shorter session may be faster at an intensity of 145-155 beats/min, and the third short and light session at a heart rate of 120-130 beats/min (the heart rate intensity should be calculated based on individual indicators).

How to Plan Your Workouts?

Before each workout, conduct a short 5-10 minute warm-up with the purpose of warming up muscle groups, stimulating circulation, and breathing. The warm-up can include active walking in place and movement, breathing exercises, and reasonable general developmental exercises for the torso and limbs.

After running, it is recommended to gradually reduce the intensity of the workout, walking for 3-5 minutes to normalize your breathing rhythm.

Your workouts will be more beneficial for the body if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and combine running with various exercises that develop strength, flexibility, speed, and coordination. It is also effective to switch temporarily to other forms of cyclic exercises, such as cross-country skiing, cycling, swimming, and Nordic walking, throughout the year. Importantly, during these workouts, learn to temper your body, manage your well-being, and mood.