Getting back into running after a break, and starting off on the right foot

A few weeks, a few months, an injury, a winter: everyone takes a break at some point. The good news is that fitness fades more slowly than you think. The trap is picking up where you left off. Your plan starts from what you run today.

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The five rules of a successful comeback

The first comes from research on detraining; the others from the experience of coaches and sports doctors.

You have lost less than you think. After two weeks off, aerobic capacity drops by only a few percent. The losses become clear beyond a month.

Your breathing comes back before your tendons. After a few runs, you will feel ready to do more. Your tendons and joints need weeks: that is where comeback injuries happen.

Restart below what you used to do. Coaches generally recommend restarting well below your volume from before the break, then building back up in steps.

After a long break, walking comes back. Alternating walking and running in the first weeks is not a step back: it is the safest way to get your body used to the impact of running again.

After an injury, medical advice comes first. A past injury is the number one risk factor for a new one. Return to running with the go-ahead of whoever treated you.

What you lose, depending on how long you stopped

The losses come from a review of studies on trained athletes. The way to restart is standard coaching practice.

Length of the break	Aerobic capacity (VO2max)	Where to restart
Two weeks	About −4 to −7 %	Your usual routine, with a lighter first week
Five weeks	About −10 %	Lower than before, with no fast sessions for the first few weeks
Eight weeks or more	About −13 to −20 %	Alternating walking and running, then building back up in steps

The figures vary from one study to another: they are orders of magnitude. Staying a little active during the break — cycling, swimming, walking — greatly limits the losses.

How your plan handles a comeback

Nothing for you to calculate: you say where you are, and the plan starts from there.

You enter what you run today

Not what you ran before the break. Your weekly volume is the starting point of the plan, and it then builds back up in four-week steps, with a recovery week at each step.

If you are not running at all, walking comes back

At zero kilometers, the plan starts with alternating walking and running blocks, announced by voice, before lengthening your continuous running. It is the same progression as the beginner plan.

A declared injury lightens your plan

If you report an injury in your account, the plan removes one quality session, drops the maximal aerobic speed (MAS) sessions, and reduces the volume and the long run.

When should you see a doctor before restarting?

France's Club des cardiologues du sport sums it up in a few rules: see a doctor if you have chest pain, unusual shortness of breath, palpitations or feel faint during exercise. Get a check-up before returning to intense activity if you are over 35 (men) or 45 (women). And do not run with a fever, or within eight days of having the flu.

The five comeback mistakes

Picking up where you left off. Same pace, same volume, same Tuesday session: it is the shortest route to a comeback injury.

Restarting with intervals. Intensity comes back last. The first weeks are run at an easy pace.

Trying to make up for lost time. Doubling your volume to "get back faster" costs more weeks than it saves.

Ignoring pain that keeps coming back. Discomfort that returns on every run is a signal, not an obstacle to push through.

Running every day from the first week. Two to three runs, with a rest day in between, are enough to get things going again.

Where these figures come from

Every benchmark on this page comes from a public source.

The losses in aerobic capacity after two, five and eight weeks off come from a systematic review published in Frontiers in Physiology (2023), following the work of Mujika and Padilla (Sports Medicine, 2000).

The risk of a new injury in runners who have already been injured: review in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (2021).

The warning signs that should send you to a doctor are those of the ten golden rules of the Club des cardiologues du sport.

The walk-run progression follows the curve of the NHS Couch to 5K program, from the UK's public health service.

The questions people ask before getting back into running

How long does it take to lose fitness?

Longer than you might fear. After two weeks, the loss is small; it becomes clear beyond a month, and more marked still beyond two. Staying a little active during the break limits it.

How long does it take to get back to your level?

There is no reliable rule in numbers: it depends on how long you stopped, your level before, and how active you stayed. One thing is certain: a comeback that is too fast and ends in injury is the slowest of all.

What should I start with?

Easy runs, at a pace where you can talk, and shorter than the ones you did before. Fast sessions come back later.

Should I alternate walking and running?

After a break of several months, yes: it is the safest way to get your tendons and joints used to running again. After only a few weeks, short, easy runs are usually enough.

How many times a week?

Two to three runs, with a rest day in between. That is enough to make progress, and spaced out enough for your body to recover.

I am coming back from an injury: when can I start again?

When whoever treated you gives you the green light, and when brisk walking is pain-free. Then declare your injury in your account: your plan lightens accordingly.

What if I want to aim for a race afterwards?

Once your base is back, your plan can work toward a date: a 10 km plan, a half marathon plan, or simply a block to run faster.

Is it free?

Yes, for the essentials: creating your plan, taking it with you as a PDF, and following each session with voice guidance. A subscription is available for advanced features — automatic adjustment of your plan week after week, a written analysis of each session. The plan itself does not need it.