Couch to 5k - Top tips to get started with running

"You never regret a run," according to Giovanna Fletcher, host of BBC Sport's new Couch to 5K podcast.

It might be hard to get out the door sometimes, but, according to the NHS, external, being active is one of the best things you can do for your mental health.

As part of the BBC's Wellbeing Week, which runs from 12 to 18 May, BBC Sport has gathered some of the Couch to 5K Podcast's top tips to start running.

Couch to 5K is a great way to get into running, providing a free, beginner-friendly running plan.

The best way to start is to plan a route, wear comfortable clothing and trainers – and get out there. Of course, it might be hard at first, but it will get easier with time.

Fletcher says: "I can my first run. I only ran for 10 minutes and I felt this burn through my lungs for the majority of the day. My next run, I didn't feel that."

Lindsey Burrow – the widow of rugby legend Rob – has used running to her through grief, completing the London Marathon and the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in April and May 2025.

"Anyone that starts running, you've got to start somewhere," Burrow says.

"The first run seems impossible. The second one's not much better. Then something changes.

"Your lungs get stronger. Your legs get stronger. You just start to build on that courage, that resilience and that bravery."

If you feel self-conscious running outside or are struggling to get started, organising to run with other people can help.

"I find it really hard running on my own," says radio DJ and Couch to 5K coach Jo Whiley.

"I really like running clubs, parkruns and running with a friend. That makes all the difference."

You can find a running club near you on the England Athletics website, external and parkrun, external organises 5ks in local parks across the UK every weekend.

Whiley adds that she finds it easier if she can talk to a friend while running: "That's distracting and it stops you thinking about running.

"It's a really good way of catching up with friends. You don't have to look at each other, so if you're getting something off your chest, it's somehow easier to talk."

By committing to Couch to 5K, you will get fitter over time, but that does not mean every run will be easy.

"Every run is different," Whiley says. "There are days when you go out and it's really hard work. Then the next day, it's really easy and you can't quite work out why."

On the days when it is tough, Burrow's advice is to "keep putting one foot in front of the other".

"Keep going," she adds. "There will be tough times. There are parts of the run where you're thinking, 'This is awful, this is horrendous, how am I going to get through this"Graphic image of, from left to right, Alex Albon, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Oliver Bearman. It is on a blue background with 'Fan Q&A' below the drivers " loading="lazy" src="https://image.staticox.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fichef.bbci.co.uk%2Face%2Fstandard%2F480%2Fsprodpb%2F7ff9%2Flive%2Fd42302e0-34b3-11f0-8519-3b5a01ebe413.jpg" width="385" height="216" class="ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950"/>