Running is a great way to stay in shape, lose weight and improve your overall health. But people new to running generally aren’t sure how much they should be running. So, is it ok to run every day as a beginner? The short answer is yes – with a caveat.
The long answer is this will vary depending on your fitness level, weight, and goals. Read on, and we’ll explain.
In this article, we’ll cover a few key points about running frequency and distances as a beginner. It’s important not to start too gung-ho and come out swinging with 10 miles per day. It’s equally as important not to start running 100 meters per day and calling it quits.
There has to be a middle ground. We’ll help you find it.
Is It Ok to Run Every Day as A Beginner?
When you’re just setting out running, it’s important to find a balance between pushing yourself and running too much.
You need to give your body time to recover from each run. At the same time, you want to make sure you’re running enough that you see results.
How do you find that perfect balance? Start with 1-3 miles per day, three times per week. This will give you a good base to work from without overdoing it.
As you get more comfortable with running, you can start to increase your mileage and frequency. A good rule of thumb is to add no more than 10% per week.
Examples of Plans for Increasing Weekly Mileage
So, if you’re running 3 miles per day, 3 times per week, next week you can increase it to 3.3 miles per day, 3 times per week. The week after that, go up to 3.6 miles per day, and so on.
A simple equation can help: [running distance] X [running frequency] X 1.1 = Next weeks mileage.
For example, if you are running five miles per day, four days per week, you’re increase would be:
[5] X [4] X 1.1 = 22
You would then take that and divide it by the number of times you want to run. For example, if you want to keep running 4 times per week, your new daily milage would be 5.5 miles per day.
If you want to drop back and only run three times per week, you would be running 7.33 miles per day.
Tip: Remember, you want to give your body time to recover between runs. This is especially important as you start to increase your mileage.
If you’re running every day, you’re not giving your body the time it needs to repair itself. This can lead to injuries. To avoid this, make sure you’re taking at least one day off per week. This will give your body the time it needs to recover and prevent injuries.
What Is a Good Distance to Run Everyday to Stay Healthy?
The answer to this question depends on your individual goals and fitness level. If you’re looking to just stay healthy and improve your overall fitness, a good place to start is a few miles per day and 3-4 times per week.
This is a great start for general fitness. It is a moderate distance that most people can handle without putting their bodies under too much stress. If you’re just starting out, this is a great place to begin.
As you get more comfortable with running and your fitness level improves, you can start to increase your mileage. If you’re looking to lose weight or improve your cardiovascular health, running further distances will be more beneficial.
A good goal to aim for is 30-60 minutes of running per day. Depending on your speed, and type of run, this could be quite a long distance. If you’re doing a slow jog you may only log four to six miles. If you’re doing a high-intensity tempo run, you’ll log significantly more.
How Much Running Is Too Much for A Beginner
Too much running will depend on each individual. An easy way to know this is to listen to your body. Running will make you sore, and that’s not a bad thing, but being hurt isn’t good. If it’s muscular, you’re good to go. Take some time, let the muscles heal, and come back stronger.
If you start to have lingering ligament and joint type issues, that’s a sign you may be overtraining.
There are two main types of overtraining:
1. Overtraining syndrome– when your body is unable to recover from the training you’re doing. This can lead to fatigue, injuries, and a decrease in performance.
2. Overuse injuries– these are injuries that occur from repetitive motion, such as shin splints or runner’s knee.
Tip: Both of these can be avoided by giving your body the proper time to recover between runs, and by not increasing your mileage too quickly.
How Far Should You Run as A Beginner?
A general rule of thumb is to run between 1-3 miles per day and 3-4 times per week. This will vary wildly with fitness level, age, free time, work capacity, and other ailments, but it’s a good starting point.
Again, test it out. Start off slow and see how you feel. If you can handle more, push it. If not, back off a bit. You’ll get there over time as long as you make steady, determined, consistent progress.
Is It Better to Run More Often or Longer?
Generally speaking, it’s better to do more short sessions than fewer longer sessions when exercising. This is the same in running as it is in lifting weights.
There are several benefits to prioritizing shorter runs than trying to stuff your weekly milage into two gut-wrenching all-out battles.
Here are four reasons shorter runs may be preferable:
- Shorter runs are more manageable, and therefore less likely to cause injuries
- Shorter runs are easier on the body and allow for a quicker recovery time
- Shorter runs are great for people who don’t have a lot of time to devote to running each week
- Shorter runs are more mentally manageable and can help to avoid burnout
- You may have more energy to be able to speed drills or other types of interval training which will help overall speed in the future
That said, there are benefits to running longer distances as well. Here are three pros for longer runs:
- Longer runs improve endurance and cardiovascular health.
- Longer runs can help to burn more fat.
- Longer runs can be great for mental toughness and grit.
As you can see, like with most things in life, there is no one size fits all. Find what works for you and make sure you do it consistently. In six months you’ll thank yourself!
What if I Can’t Run at All?
Some people have an issue running. Whether it’s due to weight gain, recent pregnancy with a baby in tow, or other ailments like bad knees or bum ankles, running can be a challenge for some.
It’s a high-impact activity that does tend to put a lot of strain on your body.
No problem, you can walk. Run as much as you can and walk the rest. It isn’t rocket science, honestly. Push yourself, do your best, be honest with yourself, and put in the work. Knowing how many miles to run per day as a beginner is going to be a bit of trial and error.
In Conclusion
Running is a great way to stay in shape, lose weight and improve your overall health. That said, is it ok to run every day as a beginner? How many miles should you run each day to see results? This will vary depending on your fitness level, weight, and goals, but a good place to start is by running between 1-3 miles per day.
Remember, if you start to have lingering ligament and joint issues, that’s a sign you may be overtraining. Try to avoid overtraining syndrome by giving your body the proper time to recover between runs, and by not increasing your mileage too quickly.
Happy trails.
