Categories / Running & athletics
Featured in: Walking vs running
Jogging
Easy, sustained running at conversational pace.
How to start
Jog slowly enough to hold a conversation. If you cannot talk, slow down or walk for a minute. Begin with 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week.
How to progress
Add a few minutes to your sessions every week or two. Keep most runs easy and add only one longer run a week.
What the evidence says
Evidence: moderate
A pooled analysis of 14 studies (232,149 adults) found that runners had 27% lower risk of death from any cause than non-runners, and no clear extra benefit from running more. The Copenhagen City Heart Study found the lowest death rates in people who jogged 1 to 2.4 hours a week at a light to average pace, though the numbers of strenuous joggers were small and the ranges wide. These are observational studies.
What running is linked to
Lower risk of death compared with not running. Bars show the estimate; lines show the 95% range.
Pooled from 14 studies of 232,149 adults followed for 5.5 to 35 years. These are associations from observational studies, not proof that running causes the difference. The review found no clear extra benefit from running more, so even once a week counted.
Source: Pedisic et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020
Take care: Start gently. Novice runners get injured more often than experienced ones, mostly in the knee, lower leg and foot. If a pain is sharp or gets worse as you run, stop.
Sources
- doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-100493
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.11.023
- doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0333-8
12-week starter plan
You should be able to walk briskly for 30 minutes first. Each session is a jog of a few minutes then a short walk, repeated. The jogs get longer and the walks shorter.
Tick each week as you finish it; your ticks are saved on this device only. Repeat a week if it felt hard. Weeks 4, 8 and 12 hold steady so you can settle. This is a general plan, not medical advice.
Add reminders to your calendar
Pick your days and time. You will download a calendar file that adds 12 weeks of reminders to Google, Apple or Outlook calendar.
Calories and weekly minutes
Enter your details for a rough estimate. Based on about 7 METs (Jogging at a general, easy pace). Real figures vary by 20% or more between people.
Tips and common mistakes
Tips
- Run at a pace where you could chat. Most jogs should feel easy.
- Take short, quick steps and land under your body rather than reaching forward.
- Rest days matter: leave at least a day between runs while you build.
Common mistakes
- Running every session too fast.
- Adding distance, speed and days all at once.
- Ignoring pain that gets worse during a run.
Kit and cost
Low cost Approximate UK prices.
- Running shoes that feel comfortable (about £60 to £130)
- Moisture-wicking top and socks
- Optional: a running watch or phone app (free to £200)
Frequently asked questions
Is jogging bad for your knees?
Not for most people. A review of studies on knee osteoarthritis found that common activities such as walking and running were not linked to structural progression of knee arthritis. If you already have knee pain, speak to a physiotherapist.
How often should I jog?
Two to three times a week works well for beginners. In the Copenhagen study, two to three sessions a week had among the lowest death rates, though the study cannot prove cause.
How slow can I go?
As slow as you like. A slow jog counts, and the light joggers in that study did best. Pace matters less than keeping at it.
Should I jog every day?
Not while you are building up. Your bones and tendons adapt more slowly than your heart and lungs, so rest days help prevent injury.
Good for: Heart & fitness Weight loss Endurance Mood & stress
Compare with similar options
| Jogging | Couch to 5K | parkrun | 10K Training Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical session | 30 min × 3/wk | 30 min × 3/wk | 40 min × 1/wk | 45 min × 4/wk |
| Effort | ●●●○○ | ●●●○○ | ●●●○○ | ●●●○○ |
| Cost | Low cost | Free | Free | Low cost |
| Equipment | No equipment | No equipment | No equipment | No equipment |
| Impact | High impact | High impact | High impact | High impact |
| Fitness needed | Some fitness | Any level | Any level | Moderate fitness |
| Evidence | moderate | limited | limited | limited |