Train for a 5K run

Yes, you can run a 5K!

Fancy signing up for a 5K race?

If you're not a runner, that may seem a huge challenge, but there is a way to get race fit in just ten weeks! It's super-simple, super-quick, and it's captured the imagination of tens of thousands of women the length and breadth of the UK. The 60-Second-Secret Plan, made famous in Zest's running book for beginners, Running Made Easy, has helped thousands of women daunted by the thought of running for the bus to get back into their trainers. Not only will this plan get you out there pounding the pavements, but it will help you realise that running a 5K really is within your grasp!

Getting started

All you need to do to get started is jog (as slowly as you like) for 60 seconds and then follow that with an easy three-minute walk to get your breath back. And by repeating that four times, voila!, you've just completed your first training session. A few more of those and you'll be ready to tackle a 5K after just ten weeks - and, amazingly, you could even bag a marathon medal before the year is out!

Marathons aside, the biggest draw of the plan (besides toned, cellulite-free thighs!) is its incredible weight-loss potential. 'By breaking every training session down into manageable chunks of running interspersed with walking rest breaks, you can actually run faster, which increases your metabolic rate,' says running coach Chris Donald of Purple Patch Running. 'This means that you'll continue to burn calories after your training session, because it takes your metabolic rate longer to get back to normal. If you follow this plan religiously, and stay as active as you can throughout the day, you could lose up to 1lb a week, which adds up to 10lb by the time you've finished the plan.' Better still, the training sessions in the first week are only 16 minutes long - perfect for busy women. What's not to love?

CLICK ON THE NEXT PAGE FOR YOUR 5K TRAINING PLAN