12-Week Jogging Program

Patterned after the Galloway Marathon Training Program devised in the early 1980s, zero-to-5K or couch-to-5K programs promise to turn walkers into runners over a 12-week period through a training program that alternates periods of walking with running. You walk more at first; as the program progresses, your intervals of running increase. By easing your body into running, the programs say they tend to avoid the injuries and aches common to new runners. These programs have proven especially appealing to people attracted to running as a way to lose weight. Most programs “graduate” participants with a 5K race.

  1. How They Work

    • Most zero-to-5K programs meet two or three times a week for a 30-minute group run. During week one, participants may walk for three minutes, then jog for 30 seconds. In week two, the equation may change to two minutes of walking and one minute of running. The mix gradually changes until, at the end of 12 weeks, you are running the full 30 minutes. Sessions are led by a running coach or coaches whose main job is to let participants know when to walk, when to run. Each session begins with a warm-up of dynamic movement, usually lasting five minutes, and ends with a cool-down and stretching. Couch-to-5K apps are also available if you can’t find a program nearby.

    Fast, Slow, In-between

    • Not everyone enters these programs at the same fitness level; thus, it’s common for a running group to break into smaller groups based on pace. One subgroup may choose to do the running intervals a little faster, another may pursue a more relaxed pace. A good program will be designed to accommodate a range of run/walkers by having one to three coaches who can lead from the front, the back and the middle.

    Group Dynamic

    • Couch-to-5K programs also tout the group dynamic benefit of their workouts. You’ve had a long day at work, and when the whistle blows at 5 p.m., the only thing you want to do involving a couch is go home and plop down on one. Alas, your couch-to-5K program is in an hour. It would be easy to blow off the run -- but you’ve made friends with the group, you enjoy their company and they’re expecting you to be there. You sigh, grab your running gear and go -- and end up having a great run. Or at least catching up with your running friends.

    Other Benefits

    • Some programs team with local health care providers and include health screenings before and after the program. The objective: to help you assess your overall health benefits from the program. For instance, they may monitor your blood pressure, test your cholesterol, record your key body measurements and weigh you. Some cover the cost of registration for your graduation 5K. And there’s a very good chance you’ll score a T-shirt.

    Main Motivation

    • While some participants are motivated by the challenge of running a full 3.1 miles, many are there to improve their health and lose weight. According to MayoClinic.com, running is one of the most effective ways to burn calories. In one hour, for instance, a 200-pound person jogging at a mellow 5 mile-per-hour pace burns 755 calories. Pick up the pace to 8 miles per hour and you’ve burned 1,075 calories.

    Graduation

    • Most programs are timed to culminate with a local 5K race. The idea is to give you something to shoot for. You don’t need to run the entire 5K; in fact, in some 5K races there’s more walking done than running. But completing a race gives you the personal satisfaction of achieving a goal -- and the opportunity to boast about “your latest 5K.” Once you complete one 5K, it’s easy to get caught up in the festive and supportive atmosphere of these races. Your initial goal may have been to lose weight, but who knows, you actually could wind up a runner.