Can anyone recommend a running programme for a Year 6 child?

[notafish]

I'm looking for some guidance to help my DD start running. She's a reluctant runner/exerciser for the sake of running/exercising but she has asked me to do this with her. She's not interested in setting a particular goal and I think her desire is due to her feeling slow and last whenever they do any running at school. I'm planning to do some running with her over the summer months - since she has asked - and my aim is to build her confidence and show her that she can do it.

Whilst I enjoyed sports and sprinting as a child, I disliked running any distance continually. I did a couch to 5K course last year and proved to myself that I could do it.

I've tried looking for a programme for children but everything I find online is aimed at the keen child-runner who wants to improve their speed and distance. I want a run walk run programme that will ease my DD gently into running. Can anyone recommend one? How often should we go? How long should we run-walk-run for? Thank you.

[ClashCityRocker]

Would couch to five K not work for her?

Zombies run is also quite fun.

[Wolfiefan]

Look into parkrun? Do couch to 5k and see if you can do a local parkrun. Think some of them also have shorter children's runs.

[PossomInAPearTree]

Couch to 5k for sure. My dd was running 5ks in year 4 so the distance is ok for a kid.

[notafish]

Ok - so you think just follow any of the regular 0 - 5k programmes? I can't tell her the 5K is the goal as she'll find it daunting to have a goal but she doesn't have to know!

[Wolfiefan]

I used the NHS one. You can always repeat a week if it's hard!

[bruffian]

Couch to 5k. 3k is a better distance for an 11 year old in terms of fitness (they can eventually run a bit faster)

[NerrSnerr]

I would look if there's a parkrun or junior park run in the area, you don't have to run the whole way round, lots of people jog and walk it.

[notafish]

We do have a junior park run but she's not keen to try it - yet.

[CMOTDibbler]

My ds isn't an enthusiastic runner either, but I did C25k with him (I just timed the intervals for him), and then he started doing parkrun. He's still not a great runner, and its not his favourite activity, but he doesn't stop round parkrun or moan too much!

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

I would have thought couch to 5k should be fine for an 11 year old.

The other option might be something like the daily mile. It's an initiative set up by a head teacher in Scotland and is meant for schools. But if you can measure out a suitable route of about a mile it's just a case of running as much of it as you feel comfortable with every day and walking the rest.

[Sickofthinkingofnewnames]

My year fivechild had been doing parkrun for a year now massive improvement in fitness and confidence and it's free!! Such a supportive environment

[FrancesHaHa]

My 6 year old does junior parkrun (usually walks/runs it). There are often older girls just starting to get into running there. It's really nice to see how nervous they often look at the beginning and yet enthused at the end. The atmosphere is so supportive.

Would she go along to watch to see what it's like - maybe set it as a goal to come back to, if she doesn't feel ready?

[SomewhatIdiosyncratic]

My 6 & 4 year olds do jnr parkrun intermittently. There's a good spread of 4-14 year olds there and a mix of sprint/ jog/ walkers there.

It took the structure of C25k to get me running. My body missed the how-to-run memo in childhood. All those years of staggering painfully around the school fields being yelled at by PE teachers...

[notafish]

Thanks everyone. We ran (and walked) in the park yesterday and she is happy enough to run again later this week. I think you are right - if I can get her to Junior Park Run, the supportive atmosphere of everyone there might counteract the negativity that has come from primary school PE lessons.

[feetheart]

That's brilliant that she has asked you for help to do this. My advice would be to take it slowly and build up gradually, that way her fitness and her confidence will grow without putting her off. It is also good to remind her that even top athletes have bad days where everything feels HARD but other days it all goes well.

You could volunteer at Junior parkrun to start with. That way she will see how it works and, hopefully, get caught up in the atmosphere and want to get involved. She will also see that how much you run, or how fast is irrelevant :)
And volunteering is good for the soul confidence too.

[BlueChampagne]

Our Junior Park Run is only 2k so that would be a good first goal.

Would a 5k Race for Life be an idea for another goal? No compulsion to actually run the whole thing!

[notafish]

Thanks for the positive posts. I agree we'll take it slowly. She would like to watch the Junior park run but I won't suggest she tries it for another few weeks. I'll keep up our gradual approach as it is more important I keep her keen.

[putthehamsterbackinitscage]

Probably a good idea to take her running on your own and build up till she can run the full 2k before suggesting she dies junior park run ... at least then she'll be more confident about it...