Buzzapp Master 
The week of workouts below is for SELF’s Learn to Love Running Program, our brand-new, beginner-friendly plan that will get you running 30 minutes nonstop! Here’s what you need to know to get started.
Great job making it through Week 1! You’re starting to form the foundations of a habit. And this week, you’ll take things up a notch by adding running intervals to your walks.
Everything else stays essentially the same. You’ll crush three cardio workouts (walk/run intervals now!), log one strength workout, take two complete rest days, and tack on one optional active recovery routine, if your body is asking for a little extra movement.
I always recommend starting each week by taking a look back and a look ahead. Check back through your calendar, app, or other way of tracking. Notice what worked for you and what didn’t, schedule-wise. Did you walk in the morning and feel rushed before work? If so—could you consider lunchtime or after-work workouts instead?
Combine this intel with a look at the calendar for the week ahead. Since your workouts will stay approximately the same length every week, you might find it easiest to slot them in on roughly the same days and times throughout the program. But if your schedule isn’t exactly neatly constrained, you might find it better to plan week by week.
As you move through the program, it might take some trial and error to figure out what’s optimal, timing-wise. It’s all part of finding the running groove that works for you.
Week 2 at a Glance:Week 2 starts off with a bang: Your first running intervals! Remember to keep the pace comfortably challenging—no more than 3–4 on a scale of 1–10, or an effort level where you could talk, but not sing. Your walk intervals should be at around 2–3.
Because you’re essentially lifting your entire body weight into the air, running is automatically way more intense than walking. So don’t worry if, at first, you find it challenging to keep the effort level truly easy. Just slow down as much as you can, and even if you think you’re plodding as slowly as possible, dial it down just a little bit more. As the weeks go on, you’ll start to lock into your own natural pace.
Remember to warm up beforehand (don’t forget to pick your routine) and cool down after (we’ve got you covered there too).
Monday: Walk/Run Intervals
5-minute warm-upWalk 4 minutes, run 1 minute (repeat 4 times)5- to 10-minute cooldownTotal time: 30–35 minutes(back to top)
Tuesday: Active Recovery (Optional) or Rest
Feel free to take today completely off—remember, rest is a critical part of the equation! But if you’re feeling the itch to move, you can do some easy cardio like cycling—just make sure to keep the resistance low enough so your legs aren’t slogging through.
You can also try one of our expertly-created active recovery routines that we created just for this program too. You’ve got four options here—along with full directions and GIF demos. Each of those routines will provide a solid dose of gentle movement for all your muscles. If you’re planning on catching up on some TV today but still want to move your body a little, might we recommend Active Recovery 1? You can do one of the stretches right from your couch!
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Wednesday: Strength Training
For your second strength training day, you’ll do the same routine as last week. This is intentional: We have you repeating strength work for four weeks to give you a chance to master the moves and potentially pick up heavier weights before moving on to the next, more difficult series of exercises.
Remember, your goal when lifting is one to three reps in reserve, or feeling like you could do only one to three more by the time you get to your eighth and final rep. You might notice that, as you lock into the movements and get stronger, they begin to feel easier—as if you could do more with good form, or you don’t need a full two minutes to recover. Once that’s the case, consider swapping to slightly heavier weights. You want to keep the reps to eight, and you need that full rest!
Of course, if you’re working out at home, you might not have every weight of dumbbell available. If you wind up sticking with a lighter weight, don’t sweat it (see what we did there?). You’re still getting far more benefits than you would if you skipped strength work. (Bonus tip: You can also slow down the moves to up the challenge!)
Wednesday: Strength Training Workout
What you need: A pair of dumbbells, a bench or step, and a mat for comfort.
Directions:
Do 8 reps of your first exercise. (For single-sided moves, do 8 reps on both sides; for moves by time, follow the time allotted in the description) Rest 2–3 minutes. Repeat for 3 times total.Continue on to your next exercise, and repeat until you’ve completed the first 5 moves.Do 10–20 reps of the double-leg pogo hops. Rest 2–3 minutes. Repeat for 3–4 times total.Exercises:
Romanian DeadliftGoblet SquatSingle-Leg Calf RaiseChest PressSide PlankDouble-Leg Pogo HopsRomanian Deadlift
Katie Thompson
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your thighs.Hinge at your hips, bending slightly at your knees. Push your butt way back and keep your back flat. Your torso should be almost parallel to the floor, and the weight should reach your shins.Keeping your core tight, push through your heels to stand up straight. Keep the weight close to your shins as you pull.Pause at the top and squeeze your butt. This is 1 rep.This move strengthens your hamstrings and your butt, as well as the big muscles in your back.
Goblet Squat
Katie Thompson
Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly turned out, holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of you so it hangs vertically.Engage your core and keep your chest lifted and back flat as you shift your weight into your heels, push your hips back, and bend your knees to lower into a squat.Drive through your heels to stand and squeeze your glutes at the top. This is 1 rep.Your quads and glutes are the main players in this squat variation—but your upper body and abs get some work too, since you’re holding the weight in front of you.
Single-Leg Calf Raise
Katie Thompson
Stand, holding a chair, wall, or other sturdy object with your right hand for balance. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand.Bend your right knee to lift your right leg off the floor.Exhale and slowly lift your left heel as far as you can. Hold briefly and inhale as you slowly lower yourself back to the floor. This is 1 rep.Complete all your reps on one side. Then switch sides and repeat.Calf muscles are often neglected—this move makes sure you’re strengthening each one separately.
Chest Press
Katie Thompson
Lie faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, or on a bench with your feet planted on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your legs and your elbows on the floor bent at about 90 degrees so that the weights are in the air. This is the starting position.Press the weight toward the ceiling, straightening your elbows completely and keeping your palms facing your legs. Pause here for a second.Slowly bend your elbows and lower them back down to the floor. This is 1 rep.The classic chest press works your pec muscles as well as the triceps along the back of your upper arms.
Side Plank
Katie Thompson
Start in a forearm side plank by propping your body up on your right forearm, with your elbow stacked underneath your shoulder and your hand in front of your body. Extend your legs and stack your left foot on top of your right, and then squeeze your abs and glutes to lift your hips off the floor. (Or if that’s too intense, start with your right knee on the floor.)Extend your left arm up or place it on your left hip. Your shoulders, hips, and feet should all be in a straight line.Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.This isometric exercise helps build core stability. Modify with the bent-knee version, and work your way up to 30 seconds in increments if it’s too tough.
Double-Leg Pogo Hops
Katie Thompson
Stand with your feet close together, elbows at your sides and thumbs pointing at the ceiling.Jump straight up, focusing on getting as high off the ground as you can.Land on the balls of your feet, then jump up again as quickly as possible. (Picture a pogo stick!) This is 1 rep.This plyometric move helps you train for agility, power, and balance.
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Today, you’ll repeat the same workout you did earlier in the week. Remember, pace isn’t your goal here—your priority is building endurance, so it’s important to keep things nice and easy. You might find yourself feeling a little smoother as you move between walking and running and back again, simply because you’ve already done it once before.
If you found yourself late on the intervals last time, you may want to try an app that can keep time for you. ASICS Runkeeper or MapMyRun are two great options. Then pick your warm-up and let’s get started!
Thursday: Walk/Run Intervals
5-minute warm-upWalk 4 minutes, run 1 minute (repeat 4 times)5- to 10-minute cooldownTotal time: 30–35 minutes(back to top)
Today is a complete rest day—so take it easy! Need some inspo for how to fill the time? Check out How Some of the World’s Top Athletes Rest and Recharge for ideas, such as:
Tap into your creativity: Draw, listen to music, or curate some fun Pinterest boards online.Head to bed early, and make it an oasis, with mood lighting and soothing white noise.Try out a new recipe—and invite some friends over to try it.Read a book, and keep it light if your brain needs a rest day too!(back to top)
Today you’re going longer in two ways. Yes, your total workout time is more hefty, at 40 to 45 minutes, including the warm-up and cooldown. But you’re also extending the running intervals from 60 seconds to 90 seconds.
That might feel like double the challenge, but if you conquered the first two walk/run intervals this week, you’re prepared for it! If you need a little more time to catch your breath after running for a minute and a half, it’s totally fine to walk a bit longer before starting your next interval. And remember, too, you have a rest day waiting on the other side of this effort.
Saturday: Long Walk/Run Intervals
5-minute warm-upWalk 4 minutes, run 90 seconds (repeat 5 times)Walk 2.5 minutes5- to 10-minute cooldownTotal time: 40–45 minutes(back to top)
The last day of Week 2 is another total rest day. Take this opportunity to reflect back on the week you’ve just completed. You did three full walk/run workouts, logging more than 15 minutes of running! Whether that’s more than you’ve ever run or just more than you’ve run in a while, it’s an accomplishment worth celebrating.
When you set a big, long-term goal like running 30 minutes nonstop, marking milestones along the way can keep you motivated as you take action toward it. The last rest day of the week is a great time for this type of reflection and recognition, along with a reward (hello, mid-afternoon nap!) for your efforts. If your bed is calling your name, follow these tips to make your afternoon shuteye extra restorative.
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Photography: Katie Thompson. Wardrobe styling: Kathleen Thomas. Hair: Walton Nunez. Makeup: Miranda Richards.
Athletes in order of appearance: Morit Summers, a Brooklyn-based trainer and the owner of body-positive gym, Form Fitness Brooklyn, wears: Lululemon top and leggings, Aerie sports bra, and Nike sneaker; Ameerah Omar, city captain and mindset coach for Adidas Runners NYC, wears: Alo sports bra and leggings, Nike socks, and Hoka sneakers; Laura Girard, a NASM-certified personal trainer and founder of The Energy Academy, wears: Alo jacket, sports bra, shorts, and sneakers, and Comme si socks.
Main image: Amanda Katz, a certified personal trainer and running coach in New York City, wears: Alo top, Janji shorts, Nike socks and running shoes; Girard wears own top, Alo leggings and sneakers, and Comme si socks.
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