04/09/2026
NEW TO RUNNING? I've helped a fair amount of people get back to running, including one woman who recently hit a 6km session (A few months, 2-3kms felt bad and crampy for her).
So here is a bit of education / inspiration for a weekend full of
A/ joint circles,
B/ resistance training AKA strength and conditioning,
C/ walking and maybe even
D/ a short run.
Head nod to who recently made a great video about running and got me thinking about how I would frame it.
Personally as a physio, the exercise part is usually what I emphasize the most, because it has a very high "return on investment" and can be enough to get people back to running - together with an intelligent progression in the running itself.
But more as a "health coach" the walking and joint circles cannot be understated! It can require "more time" compared to adding a short and sweet training session to your day, but it's more about changing your habits and using your time differently. Walking should be a part of your life! And joint circles are a beautiful way to connect with your own body. You can do them anywhere.
Ive cahtted with multiple people who have or want to follow a 5k running plan, but often these plans, I don't know. You can follow it, but many don't, and many give up at a certain point in the progression because it's progressing all the time.
Don't progress the running at first.
Progress these 3 foundations habitually, and identify the "safe space" you have to run in.
Fx what amount of time between 5-20 mins can you run pain free and relatively easy - and do it again tomorrow? That's your run for now, repeat it many times with multiple days rest and repeat it with joy. Don't worry about 2k now 2.5k now 3k now 4k
You want to become a body that can run