How to start out in running, part 1

Planning your training programme
You've chosen to become a runner - good for you! Running is one of the speediest and most efficient ways of getting fit and improving your general health and well-being. It's also very accessible, requiring little in the way of technical ability (left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot... got it?) or equipment - so you can begin straight away.

But to make sure you don't become discouraged before you have hardly begun, it is essential to ease yourself into running slowly and increase your pace and distance very gradually. A softly-softly approach will give your body time to adapt to your new challenge, and will make the entire experience more enjoyable and less risky.

The following guide will show you how to get up and running. After a few weeks, you'll start to notice the benefits of running to your health and body. You will notice that you get less breathless during exercise, your muscles become firmer, and your energy levels become higher. Changes you won't see, but that your body will thank you for, include better regulation of blood sugar levels, a drop in blood pressure, and a rise in levels of healthy cholesterol. You will probably find that your belt becomes a bit looser as well. A woman who weighs ten stones and runs at an easy ten-minute mile pace will burn 635 calories an hour, compared to only 220 in a 'bums 'n' tums' body conditioning class. This means that you can burn off 1000 calories by doing only three 30-minute runs per week! Running will also help you to sleep better, feel more alert in the daytime, and have you glowing with enthusiasm and pride.

However, you have to be prepared to put in some effort - not just with the running itself but also in your planning. If you don't work out when and where you are going to run, the chances are you will not get round to running at all. You will also need a decent level of motivation - otherwise, even if you've planned to run on Sunday morning, if the weather isn't good outside, you may find yourself turning off your alarm clock instead of getting out of bed to put your running shoes on.

You also have to be consistent. There's no point running every other day for a week, then having the next two weeks off and expecting to pick up where you left off afterwards. Fitness unfortunately can't be stored! The benefits are lifelong, though: for example, as we get older, running will help to preserve bone health, keep joints mobile and prevent a decline in mental function. A study from Harvard University showed that men who burned 2000-plus calories a week through exercise (around 20 miles a week) lived two and a half years longer than couch potatoes, while the 2001 Shanghai Breast Cancer Study found that consistent long-term, high-intensity exercise (such as running) lowers breast cancer risk.

Can anybody take up running? Yes, within reason. Thousands of people of all ages, shapes and sizes take to the streets and parks on a regular basis - and they even compete in races. However, if you are over 45 (male) or over 55 (female), are very overweight or have been sedentary for a long time, or if you have existing knee, back or hip problems, you should consult your GP before you start exercising. Also, whatever your current state of health is and activity levels are, make sure you check out 'How to start out in running, parts 2 and part 3' to make sure you take your first steps safely, successfully and enjoyably.

Time spent on your running
The amount of time you spend on steady running is, of course, ultimately up to yourself and the number of sessions you are able to fit around your everyday life. The greater number of steady runs you can do in a week, however, the more beneficial it'll be to you. In the same vein, the further you run in your sessions, the more beneficial it will be to you.

If you have difficulty in fitting in daily sessions it could mean you run more miles or kilometres on the sessions that you can manage. For example, if you run for six days a week over four miles or six kilometres per day, this will add up to a total each week of 24 miles or 36 kilometres. If you can only do three training sessions a week, though, you can increase the distances you run to compensate for only doing half as many sessions.

This would mean doing eight miles or 12 kilometres each run, to give you a total each week of 60km or 36 miles. Obviously, the more often you can get out, the more benefits you will get and the easier you will find your running.

However, even if you're going for a steady run almost every day, it will help if the distances are not the same on each day. So, you could follow a longer run of 10 miles or 16 kilometres with a shorter run of four to six miles or eight to 10 kilometres.

For any type of running, the more regularly you do it, the more efficient you will become and the more benefits you will gain. However, if you do not keep your steady running consistent and it becomes very sporadic, the benefits will become far less. Also, if you take breaks from steady running, each time you have to begin again, it will be from a lower fitness level than previously.