how many days a week should i run? Weekly Running Schedule

How many days a week should I run? This question is important for people who are serious about running, have been training for at least six months, and have likely taken part in several races. During this period, runners who have been training for at least six months begin to think about further sports development, as well as preparing for a marathon or ultramarathon. This requires more heavy loads and their correct distribution in the training schedule.

Sometimes beginners also ask this question. Just starting to run, many people think it will be most effective to train daily and intensively. Is it true? Or will daily running only harm your body?
Is it bad to run every day?

How many days a week should I run to lose weight? To understand this issue, you must know how to properly build the training process. This article will help you answer whether it is possible to run every day and, if so, how to do it correctly. So let’s start!

Is It Safe to Run 7 Days a Week?

Before answering this question, you need to understand your running goal. If you are an amateur who just runs for pleasure or to maintain health, you do not need a daily run. But you may ask – how many times a week should I run?

The situation is different if you have sports goals in mind. For example, you want to set a personal record or prepare for a race for long and extra long distances. In this case, when you progress in training, you have to practice daily exercise sooner or later, but this will not happen regularly.

If you haven’t run before, are overweight, or have been out of running for several years, you should start with training every other day at a low intensity. In this case, you need to remember two rules:

Tips From the Champ

Now, you might be interested in tracking your own mile time to see where you stand. So, how do you know how long a mile is? 1 mile is 5,280 feet or 1.6 kilometers. However, a better way to give you an idea of a mile’s length is by using a standard running track. Four laps around a running track are equivalent to a mile.

Oleksandr Zagrebelnyi

Running Coach Nike Run Club Kyiv

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These two rules will help prepare your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.

When should you not run every day? You shouldn’t start running every day if you haven’t been running five times a week for at least two months. A sudden increase in the load can lead to overtraining, which will lead to injury or other health problems.

You should not run every day if you have above average excess weight or if you haven’t trained for the past 6 months. If you want to challenge your body every day, alternate easy running with walking. Is running once a week enough?

Yes, you may start with one day running and a couple of days walking if it is your first week. This also applies to those people who experience problems with the musculoskeletal system, such as pain in the ligaments and joints or long-term muscle pain.

3 Factors That Influence Running Frequency

1. Running Experience

The number of weekly runs depends on the athlete’s goals and running experience. Beginners should not run every day. Firstly, if you are just starting to run, your body is not yet ready for such physical activity. Secondly, the lack of correct running technique can lead to overwork and a decrease or complete loss of running motivation.

There is also a high risk of serious injury. Therefore, beginners should run 3 times a week, at least half an hour daily. When you do not have a running day, pay attention to strength training to boost the core muscles of all muscle groups. You should have 1-2 days a week focused on strength training.

If you have a fairly high level and are training for a long-distance race, such as a marathon or half marathon, then an intensive training cycle is best for you. It includes running every day for a certain period. The cycle duration is influenced by factors such as time of year, season, and tasks facing the athlete.

At the same time, each day of running differs in speed, duration, and pace. It can be easy cross-country running, fartlek, speed running, running at a low heart rate for long distances, etc.

In any case, do not forget to listen to your body. If you feel that you are close to overtraining while running 6 days a week, it is better to rest for 1-2 days to avoid serious injury.

2. Diverse Loads

If you are a beginner, even if you run correctly, the shock load on your legs increases, the periosteum may become inflamed, or other problems may arise. No matter how well you run, you’re running on hard surfaces and can’t completely eliminate the impact.

Therefore, if you are a beginner runner, running 3 times a week, monitoring your condition, and gradually increasing the load is better. Such a load for beginners should not exceed 20-30 minutes daily. If you work out in the gym and already have strong muscles, you can try running 4 days a week for 40-60 minutes.

If you are already an experienced runner and run 3 and 6 miles, a half marathon, and maybe even a marathon, then you can run 5 days a week or even every day, but every run should be different. You need to alternate slow runs with interval work and endurance runs and never do two hard, fast runs in a row.

Also, you can not consistently do high-speed and long-run workouts. If you’re running an intense program, you’ll likely want to have at least one rest day a week. Add strength training on days when there is no running load.

3. Correct Weekly Running Schedule and Pace

You can run every day if you are an experienced runner and your fitness level allows it. In any case, you should have enough time to recover from stress. When you have daily training, it is important for you to properly structure your schedule. After a hard day, choose an easy recovery run with walking, and after a weekly long run, do a short workout with interval accelerations.

Running differs from other sports in a large impact load on the musculoskeletal system. If you are not an experienced runner, this can result in problems in your knees, ankles, hips, and spine. This suggests the following conclusion: running daily at a safe pace is possible. You can run every day and even twice a day, but each person’s pace will be individual.

Follow this principle, track your physical and psychological recovery, and then even daily running will not burden you but will bring joy and pleasure.

How Can I Build up the Number of Days I Run Per Week?

If you want to increase your distance and the number of days you run, you can use the famous 10% rule. It suggests increasing the number of miles by no more than 10% every week. But is everything so simple and universal? Let’s take a look at the 10% rule and see if it’s right for you.

For beginners, the top priority is to exercise regularly and let their bodies get used to running. If you run 3-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes, keep the weekly run at this level for one month so that the body has time to get used to the load.

Once you feel like it’s easy to run, add an extra day of running with half your usual load, or add a couple of miles to your long run. This approach also applies when you return to running after a long break or injury.

If you are a more experienced runner, adapt the 10% rule to your schedule. For example, if it’s easy for you to go from 40 to 55 miles a week during preparation for a race, then feel free to use the 10% rule.

However, you must be careful when entering a potentially dangerous zone and start running more than ever before (for example, from 50 to 70 miles). Your body will give a signal that it needs a longer period of adaptation.

These signals often manifest as muscle pain, increased fatigue, and raised resting heart rate. This means that you need to give your body 3-4 weeks to adjust before the next step of increasing running volume.

12 Running Tips for Different Fitness Levels

Let’s summarize all the information so that you can decide how many days a week you should run.

1. Beginners:

• Running days: 3-4 days, different loads;
• Cross-training and strength training: 1-2 days;
• Rest days: 1-2 days;
• Increasing running days: after a month of training, add 1 running day with half the usual load. After 2-3 weeks, increase the running time to the usual.

2. Runners, who have been practicing for more than 4 months:

• Running days: 4-5 days, different loads;
• Cross-training and strength training: 1-2 days;
• Rest days: 1-2 days;
• Increasing running days: after a month of training, add 1 running day with half the usual load (no more than 5% of the weekly volume). After 2-3 weeks, increase the running time to the usual.

3. Experienced runners:

• Running days: 5-6 days, different loads;
• Cross-training and strength training: 1-2 days;
• Rest days: 1 day;
• Increasing running days: after a month of training, add 1 running day with half the usual load, no more than 10% of the weekly volume. After 2-3 weeks, increase the running time to usual.

Recommended Running Shoes

Hoka Bondi 8

• Material: Breathable and supportive mesh upper
• Sole Material: Full-length EVA midsole for maximum cushioning
• Outsole (tread feature): Durable rubber outsole with a unique lug pattern
• Drop: 4mm
• Season: Suitable for all seasons
• Special Features: Exceptional cushioning and comfort
• Size: Available in various sizes
• Type: Maximum cushioning running shoe

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If you want excellent running or walking shoes or just footwear you’ll be comfortable in, you can’t go wrong with the Hoka Bondi 8. 

It’s been upgraded and now they have lighter, softer materials and a new extended heel design. The heel design gives a super soft, balanced feeling from th emoment your heel hits the ground to when you push off with your toes. 

As far as the weight goes, it’s around 10.80 ounces, and the heel drop is 4 mm. They’re not too heavy and the lower drop is a good balance between cushioning and feeling connected to the ground.

The Bondi 8 is focused on cushioning and keeps things simple. There’s a good amount of support without any extra stuff that you don’t really need and that would only jack up the price. Take the rear crash pad, for example – it makes for a soft, smooth ride, which is perfect if you like to run outdoors. 

The upper part is made of engineered mesh, which is breathable and keeps your feet cool and dry. The tongue and collar have memory foam and mold to your foot shape. All of these features make the fit snug but flexible, which is exactly what you would want. 

The Bondi 8 is eco-friendly because it uses recyclable materials in parts like the mesh and the sockliner. Plus, the shoes are completely vegan, which (if that’s important to you) is nice!

FAQ

How Many Days a Week Should I Run To Lose Weight?

If you want to lose weight, your weekly running schedule should have at least 3-4 runs. In this case, you need to run for at least 40 minutes. On rest days, do a different kind of workout or just a calm walk.

Is Jogging 3 Days a Week Enough?

Jogging 3 days a week is enough for beginner runners and people with excess weight. As your body gets used to the new challenge, gradually increase the distance and start running 4 days a week.

Conclusion

Is running 3 times a week enough? If you are just starting running, then you should do 3-4 running days a week. Be sure to pay attention to other types of training and 1-2 days of proper rest for a healthy recovery. If you’re an experienced runner, you can run 5-6 days a week, have one full rest day, and add other workouts.

You can run every day if you are an experienced athlete and need to prepare for long runs. However, daily running should not be a permanent part of your training program. You can run every day for a short period, but remember to restore your body to avoid the risk of injury.

How many days a week do you run? Share your experience in the comments below.

References:

1. Run for your (long) life // Harvard Health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/run-long-life-2017052411722
2. Daily running exercise may induce incomplete energy intake compensation: a 7-day crossover trial // PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31834814/
3. Leisure-Time Running Reduces All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk // PMC: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4131752/
4. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.