3377: [Part 2] How to Go From Sedentary to Running in Five Steps by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits on Building a Running Habit

Optimal Health Daily - Fitness and Nutrition

Optimal Living Daily LLC

Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Fitness

4.5 • 677 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2026

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3377: Leo Babauta lays out a simple, progressive path from walking to consistent running, emphasizing patience and listening to your body at every stage. By gradually building endurance, adding variety like hills and speed work, and even working toward races, the process becomes both achievable and enjoyable. Stick with the progression, and you’ll not only become a runner, you’ll learn to love the journey. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://zenhabits.net/how-to-go-from-sedentary-to-running-in-five-steps Quotes to ponder: "Don’t rush it." "The first 9 running workouts can be difficult, but after that, it almost always gets better and more enjoyable." "Most of all, enjoy your runs!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	From the co-author of Attached, the book that reshaped our understanding of anxious, avoidant and secure attachment styles comes the new audiobook, Secure.
0:10.0	Dr. Amir Levine's latest research shows that those with secure attachment styles feel more at ease, both in their relationships and within themselves.
0:19.0	Learn how to rewire your attachment style and unlock
0:21.8	stronger relationships, better health, greater resilience, and more fulfilling life. Listen to Secure on Spotify
0:29.4	Now. This is Optimal Health Daily. How to go from sedentary to running in five steps. Part 2
0:37.1	by Leo Babouda of Zenhabits.net. And I'm Dr. Neil Malik,
0:41.4	your narrator of blogs covering health and fitness. I read to you from some of the most popular
0:46.5	blogs out there, with permission from the authors and with a bit of my commentary at the end.
0:52.5	Today's post is a continuation from yesterday. So,
0:55.5	if you're new here, definitely check out yesterday's episode first. And with that, let's get right
1:01.6	to part two and continue optimizing your life. How to go from sedentary to running in fives, Part 2 by Leo Babouda of Zenhabits.net
1:15.9	The Five Steps
1:18.1	Okay, here are the five steps to becoming a runner. There are some rough time frames in each step,
1:24.9	but the real rule is to increase only when you feel ready and no sooner.
1:30.3	If you need longer for a step, take longer. There's no rush. But if you think you can do it sooner,
1:36.2	I would suggest that you not. Step 1. Start walking. Start out walking just three times the first week and four times the second. In the first
1:47.9	week, you only need to do 20 to 25 minutes. Increase to 25 to 30 minutes the second week. After this,
1:56.5	you can graduate to the next step. Or, if you'd like to stay in this step for a week or two longer, that's okay.
2:03.1	If you stay longer, walk four times the third week, 30 to 35 minutes each time.
2:09.7	The fourth week, stay at four times, but increase to 35 to 40 minutes each time.
2:16.8	Step two. Start running slash walking. Do this step very gradually,
2:22.8	just a little more each time. For this step, you'll continue to exercise four times a week.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Optimal Living Daily LLC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Optimal Living Daily LLC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.