How to start running at 40 - training plan and tips

If you are reading this article, you are probably 40 years old and looking for information on how to start running. There is probably a very simple answer to that question: “Just put on your shoes, go outside and start running.” It sounds simple. And maybe that is all you will need in the end.

But as with everything connected with running, there is far more to consider, above all so that you do not quickly give up running again after a week. In the next few paragraphs I will therefore try to do my best and write about how you should start running when you are “already” 40. For this purpose I have put together a special training plan for you.

It does not matter who you were in the past. Maybe you were sporty years ago, maybe you even ran regularly and maybe you were not active at all. None of that matters at this moment, because right now you are standing on an imaginary start line and starting from 0.

These days millions of people all over the world run regularly, regardless of age. Running came back into the spotlight above all during the recent pandemic, and today an ever greater number of people are joining the running community precisely after the age of 40 - each with their own unique reason and motivation.

On the internet and in podcasts you will find “the most guaranteed advice” about how to start, which shoes to buy, which watch to buy, when to drink and whether to run on an empty stomach or not. I was surprised myself by all the things I would have to buy as a beginner just to be able to start running at all. At this point I would not even be surprised if you had already almost given up on your plan to run.

Information overload and articles full of half-truths are also one of the reasons why we in the editorial team decided to write on this topic. We want to answer the question of how to start running and how to go step by step from the very beginning to your first running milestone, i.e. running continuously for 30 minutes.

What do I need for running when I am starting out?

To be honest, you do not need much in order to start running. Probably everything you need is somewhere in your wardrobe. Yes, running shoes are more suited to running; that is why they are called running shoes, but to get started and get a taste for carrying on, almost any comfortable sports shoes will do. If you do not have any, buy any pair labelled “running” from your favourite brand - the only advice I can give here is that they should fit your foot comfortably and you should feel good in them.

Do not worry about running clothes, running watches and other things. To start with, any sportier clothing you feel comfortable in will do. And to measure time and distance, a phone with the app Strava installed is enough, and it is free. If you already have a watch, then of course so much the better. Believe me, that is everything you really need to start with.

How to start running after 40 - how to go about it?

My first piece of advice for those who want to start running after forty would be to get used to brisk walking before they start running, or to start with walk-run intervals, i.e. a combination of walking and running. At the beginning it is important to focus on the total time spent being active - whether that is walking or easy running.

Your priority is, step by step, through a combination of easy walking and very easy running, to build up your body's ability to run for a full 30 minutes without stopping.

If you come along with me, an 8-week structured plan awaits you. For the first three weeks you will do walking only and from the fourth week we will add easy running. The training contains walking and jogging. By walking I mean brisk walking, not a Sunday stroll after lunch. Jogging is very easy running. These runs should be faster than brisk walking, but still within your comfort zone - i.e. you should not get noticeably out of breath and nothing should hurt.

The most important thing ahead of you, however, is not the individual training sessions at the beginning; you will manage those easily. The hardest thing is finding the right motivation and building a strong habit that will help you in the later phases of the training plan. Our goal, above all, is for you to start enjoying running and to look forward to every session.

Training plan: I am starting to run at 40

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Monday	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Tuesday	15 min. walking	20 min. walking	30 min. walking	10 min. walking 5 min. jogging 10 min. walking
Wednesday	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Thursday	15 min. walking	20 min. walking	30 min. walking	10 min. walking 5 min. jogging 10 min. walking
Friday	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Saturday	10 min. walking	15 min. walking	20 min. walking	5 min. walking 3 min. jogging 5 min. walking
Sunday	25 min. walking	30 min. walking	40 min. walking	10 min. walking 5 min. jogging 5 min. walking 5 min. jogging 10 min. walking

	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8
Monday	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Tuesday	10 min. walking 7 min. jogging 10 min. walking	7 min. walking 10 min. jogging 7 min. walking	6 min. walking 10 min. jogging 6 min. walking	3 min. walking 15 min. jogging 5 min. walking
Wednesday	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Thursday	10 min. walking 7 min. jogging 10 min. walking	7 min. walking 10 min. jogging 7 min. walking	6 min. walking 12 min. jogging 6 min. walking	3 min. walking 15 min. jogging 5 min. walking
Friday	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Saturday	5 min. walking 4 min. jogging 5 min. walking	4 min. walking 5 min. jogging 4 min. walking	5 min. walking 10 min. jogging 5 min. walking	2 min. walking 8 min. jogging 2 min. walking
Sunday	10 min. walking 7 min. jogging 5 min. walking 7 min. jogging 10 min. walking	7 min. walking 10 min. jogging 5 min. walking 10 min. jogging 7 min. walking	5 min. walking 15 min. jogging 2 min. walking 15 min. jogging 5 min. walking	5 min. walking 30 min. jogging 5 min. walking

Excellent, you have done it! You are now able to run continuously for 30 minutes. Running continuously for 30 minutes is considered the first big milestone on the running journey of everyone who takes up running. The second milestone is 5 kilometres.

If you managed to run 5 km within those 30 minutes, then please accept my congratulations! You can start thinking about how to run 10 km. If not, do not worry about it. You still do not have to worry about speed at this point. At this point I rather hope that during your 8 weeks you have found a liking for running.

If you have, accept my challenge and come and try the follow-up training, in which I will prepare you for your first 5 km!