Running can seem daunting at first, but once you get going, you will start to reap the rewards: better strength and aerobic fitness, improved mental health, and new running buddies. If you train sensibly and consistently, your body will become stronger, you will feel better, and you might eventually fall in love with the sport.

Here are some tips to help you build a solid base and stay injury-free along the way. Ready to start running?

1)    Progress Gradually and Train Consistently

Jumping straight into running can feel overwhelming, so it is best to ease into it. Begin with run-walk intervals instead. This approach allows your body to adapt to impact gradually while keeping injuries at bay. A good starting point is running for one minute, followed by three minutes of walking, repeated five to ten times in a session. As your endurance improves, gradually extend the running segments until you’re able to run continuously. If run-walk intervals feel too hard, begin with daily walks for a few weeks to build your fitness first. The key is consistency—progress will come with time and regular practice!

2)    Start Slow and Keep Your Miles Easy

When you're new to running, slow and steady is the way to go. Running at a comfortable pace helps build your aerobic base and makes it much easier to stick with your plan long-term. In practice this means running at a conversational pace—easy enough that you can speak in full sentences without gasping for air. Your easy pace is specific to you, so don’t be influenced by what other runners are doing. A great way to monitor your effort and plan your workout intensity is by using RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion). As you’re running, mentally rate how it feels on a scale from zero (rest) to 10 (maximum effort). For easy runs, aim for a three or four out of 10 on the scale.

RPE is a subjective way to assess how challenging an exercise feels, both physically and mentally. Unlike relying on technology, it accounts for all factors that influence performance, such as sleep, hydration, and motivation, giving you a better sense of how your body is truly responding to training.

3)    Build Your Foundation First

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Asa beginner, your body will need time to adjust to the physical demands of running. It’s important to take rest days between runs to allow for adequate recovery, but also to run frequently enough to promote adaptation. Starting with three or four runs per week on non-consecutive days is a good approach. As your body adapts, you can gradually increase the frequency of your runs. A common mistake many runners make is either not running enough or increasing their frequency too drastically.

Be patient and focus on building a strong foundation before adding higher intensity runs like tempo runs, intervals, or long runs. Once you’ve established a solid base, you can begin working on your speed through incorporating strides, tempo runs, or intervals. But remember, the majority of your runs should stay easy.

One key point: Make sure your easy runs are truly easy. Many runners unintentionally run their easy days too fast, which can hinder performance when it’s time to push hard during tough workouts.

Not sure how often or how far you should be running? Schedule a running coaching session with me, and we’ll develop a customized program that helps you avoid injury and achieve your goals.

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4)    Warm Up and Cool Down

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We’re all busy and eager to jump straight into our favorite part of the workout—running itself—often skipping the warm-up and cool-down. However, it’s important to mindfully transition from a resting state to an intense activity, allowing your body to prepare. An active warm-up raises your heart rate, increases blood flow to the working muscles, and helps you shift your focus onto your body. This mindfulness lets you assess your energy levels, residual soreness, any pains, and other factors that might influence the effort of your run.

By tuning in to how your body feels, you can make more sensible decisions about the intensity of your session. A simple warm-up could include an 8–10-minute brisk walk with short bouts of skips and lateral shuffles. You can finish your run with a short 5 min cool-down.

5)    Listen to Your Body

Your training program should be based on your current fitness level and accommodate your work schedule and personal life. While sticking to a program perfectly might seem like the best approach at first, life happens, and you’ll need to make adjustments along the way. Regularly assessing how you feel will help you modify your workouts as needed, avoid injuries, and maintain consistency. This approach will also help you avoid frustration in the long run and ensure you enjoy healthy running.

As a beginner, you’ll learn that mild aches and pains are normal and a sign that your body is adapting to the new load. Adjusting your workouts accordingly is part of the process. In practice, this sometimes may mean cutting your run short or skipping it altogether. There will also be times when pain is more severe and persists despite rest, and that’s when consulting a medical professional is necessary.

Listening to your body will help you to build a solid foundation safely and effectively and take you from where you are today to where you want to be, all while enjoying lifelong running.

6)    Fuel for Your Runs

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Fueling is a crucial part of your training. While carbs are the primary energy source for runners, if you're new to the sport, you don’t need to make drastic changes to your diet just yet. A well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet will provide all the energy you need, especially for those shorter runs under 30 minutes. What you eat throughout the day is more important than focusing only on pre-run and post-run nutrition. Once you ramp up your training and start tackling those intense workouts, that’s when you’ll need to increase your carb intake to meet the higher energy demands.

7)    Add Strength and Skill Training

Getting started with running can be challenging, so adding more workouts to your schedule might feel overwhelming at first. Since running is a very demanding sport and overuse injuries are common, incorporating two strength sessions per week that focus on building your capacity and refining your movement is worth the commitment. When you learn how to move better, you’ll run more efficiently and become a more durable runner.

Deliberate skill practice can also improve your running form over time. Strength sessions should initially be scheduled on non-running days and tailored to your fitness level and prior experience. These sessions can include life movements like squats, deadlifts, and carries. Movements that focus on mobility, stability, and control can be done on both running and non-running days, as they aren’t taxing on your body.

Above all else, keep your workouts simple and suited to your abilities. As your body adapts, you’ll find that running becomes easier and more enjoyable. You might even discover that lifting heavy stuff can be fun, too!

If you’re ready to run but would like a more customized training plan, contact me here.

Dominika Piestrak is a physical therapist, running coach, and trainer based in New York City. You can learn more about her here.