Before you rush to get off your couch to 5k training, you need to take care of a few things first.

These preparations will allow you to remain injury free and dedicated.

Running Shoes

Running is a sport that only needs a minimal investment of money, although there is one thing that you really do need to invest in - running shoes. Running in the right shoes reduces stress on the joints and substancially lowers the chances of suffering impact injuries. A specialist running store will analyse your 'gait', basically checking the way your feet land and leave the ground. I'm not saying this is always true but a good rule of thumb is the more you spend on your footwear, the better quality running shoes you'll get.

A Good Sports Bra

Another important consideration for women is a good fitting sports bra. Whether your breasts are large or small, a sports bra will help to lessen bounce and stretching of the skin which may lead to sagging. You should get properly measured to ensure a good fit.

Essentially these are all you need to safely get going and off the couch to 5k running.

Your First Attempt At Running

If you're literally going from the couch to 5k training after having being very inactive, then don't start running straight away because this will be a big shock to the body. If you just get out and go as far as you can for as long as you can, you probably won't enjoy it at all.

This is NOT how you should begin.

All beginners have to give their body time to come to terms with the fresh challenge, the best way of doing this is by running/walking. Begin by setting yourself a time limit for your first training runs of between 15 - 20 minutes and then build up gradually from then on. Write this goal down with a plan to add on further time on later sessions. Initially start by walking the majority of the session, from there, increase the time you run for until you're able to run the entire session.

Don't get carried away. Once you can do this, there's often a tendency to run more often and further each time you go out. To reduce the risk of injury, increase the distance of just one of your weekly runs.

Also try other forms of exercise such as cycling or swimming which also help improve aerobic fitness.

Once you've mastered the basics, a running club may well provide more motivation and support. If you want to discover more about quickly going from the couch to 5k running in just 6 weeks from now as well as a unique running schedule go to www.couchto-5k.com now.