Couch to 5K, abbreviated C25K, is an exercise plan that gradually progresses from beginner running toward a 5 kilometre (3.1 mile) run over nine weeks. The Couch to 5K running plan was created by Josh Clark in 1996. He developed the plan for new runners as motivation through manageable expectations. The plan aims to get the user working out for 20 to 30 minutes, three days a week. The daily workouts start with a five-minute

warm-up 'Warming up' is a part of stretching and preparation for physical exertion or a performance by exercising or practicing gently beforehand, usually undertaken before a performance or practice. Athletes, singers, actors and others warm up before s ...

walk and works up to running five kilometres without a walking break within nine weeks. Clark started the website Kick and featured C25K on the site. In 2001, Kick merged with Cool Running, a

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

–based running site. Clark later sold his

stake Stake may refer to: Entertainment * '' Stake: Fortune Fighters'', a 2003 video game * ''The Stake'', a 1915 silent short film * "The Stake", a 1977 song by The Steve Miller Band from '' Book of Dreams'' * ''Stakes'' (miniseries), a Cartoon Netw ...

in Cool Running and the Couch to 5K program. Cool Running was absorbed into Active.com, operated by

Active Network, LLC Active Network, LLC, is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that provides software as a service for activity and participant management. ACTIVE's management software supports a range of clients including: races, ...

. Active Network provides mobile apps for Couch to 5K, as well as 5K to 10K, a follow-up program. The NHS in the UK provides downloadable podcasts and a smartphone app (Android and iOS) for the plan. A

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

, created by Zen Labs, has training plans that are based on the Couch to 5K running plan from CoolRunning.com. It is one of the highest-rated health and fitness apps available on

Android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...

and

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

. As of 2016, the C25K app has been used by over 5 million people.

References

Fitness apps Sports software Road running Mobile applications {{Mobile-software-stub