Even if you’re a regular gym goer, swapping your daily workout for a plod around the park might not be as simple a swap as you think.

“You might be strong from the gym, but running is a totally different load on your body,” Emma says. “If you’re an experienced runner, then you can continue running as much as you usually would. But if you’re a beginner, it’s wise to introduce it gradually.”

While running has amazing benefits for our body and mind, including improving cardiovascular health and supporting our mental wellbeing, it is a high-impact workout. That means it can put joints and muscles under a lot of stress.

“Your body does need time to recover, especially when it’s something that you don’t typically do,” says Emma. “Something that I’d recommend, especially for beginners, is alternating days you run so that you have better recovery in between sessions. Especially if your goal is to just get out of the house and get moving, rather than train for a specific race.”

Running: should you run every day? We asked a fitness trainer for advice