Record numbers of people put on their running shoes and got
fit-for-free this year with 8.7 million NHS Couch to 5k runs
completed in 2024, new data revealed today (31 December 2024).
Millions of kilometres were covered as 790,000 downloaded the NHS
fitness app this year alone and 9.3 million runs started.
Designed to help beginners gradually build up to running five
kilometres, the app's popularity has continuously grown with more
than 7 million downloads since it was first launched in
2016.
May was the most popular time of the year for running, as more
than one million people chose to dust off their trainers and
completed a run, whilst November was the least popular time of
the year as colder nights drew in – with only 500,000 runs
completed that month.
As we move into 2025, people are being encouraged to download the
app and join the hundreds of thousands of people who got last
year off to a healthy start.
Public Health Minister said:
“New Year is the time to reset, outline new goals and adopt
healthier habits for the year ahead. For many of us, getting more
exercise and implementing more movement into our daily lives is
top of the list.
“The NHS Couch to 5K app is a great way to get fitter and build
sustainable running habits.
“Keeping fit can have a positive impact on our health, preventing
risks of developing serious illness like diabetes and heart
disease and can help to reduce pressure on the NHS. With our Plan
for Change, this government is committed to getting the NHS back
on its feet by moving from sickness to prevention.”
Regular running has been shown to reduce the risk of long-term
illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke, as
well as helping to maintain a healthier weight and improve your
mood.
Consistent exercise habits are key to maintaining a healthy
lifestyle and help to shift the dial from sickness to prevention
- one of the three shifts outlined in the government's 10 Year
Health Plan.
Achieving a healthier lifestyle helps relieve pressure on the
NHS, helping support the ambitions set out by the Prime Minister
in his Plan for Change to cut waiting lists and protect the NHS.
Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, Deputy Chief Medical Officer
said:
“Being physically active – just getting going more, even
from none to a little – has a really positive impact on your
health.
“Couch to 5k is brilliant and fun. It is supportive and
suitable for all. Download, give it a try and feel the benefits.”
Developed in partnership with the BBC since 2016, the app is
designed for people who have done little or no running. It
provides guided commentary from a celebrity coach of their
choosing and helps users to easily track their progress by doing
three runs per week.
Runners are spurred on by one of many celebrity coaches,
including Jo Whiley, Steve Cram, Sarah Millican, Dame Denise
Lewis, Reece Parkinson, Yasmin Evans and Sanjeev Kohli.
As each running challenge is completed, users receive celebration
videos and summaries of their progress. ‘Discover' and ‘support'
sections help people to overcome setbacks with helpful articles
and videos. The app also points users to curated running
playlists on BBC sounds to make exercise more
enjoyable.
Buddy runs are also available where users can pair their run with
a friend, in real life or virtually. This works well as a
motivational hack since people are more likely to complete their
run if they have made a commitment to someone else.
Following user demand, beyond NHS Couch to 5K “graduation”
content is now also available for people who successfully
complete the running programme to help motivate people to make
running habitual, helping them to improve further on speed,
stamina and technique.
NHS Couch to 5k app is an effective way to ease into exercising,
developing new and healthy habits for the new year. The app is
available on Apple and Android. To download it, search ‘NHS Couch
to 5k' in the app store.
