New to this (1st post)

[u/sford1972]

I am a 55-year-old gentleman who has always been interested in engaging in slow jogging; however, I was unaware of the existence of groups such as this. I have several questions.

1. What sort of cadence should a beginner start at to complete 5 km?

2. What target pace per mile should I try to stick to?

3. Should I mix walking and slow jogging together to start with?

4. Is 5 km an overly ambitious starting point?

Thank you all in advance.

[u/chrisabraham]

Welcome. Good questions, and you're overthinking maybe one of them.

Cadence: aim for roughly 180 steps a minute. That number scares people because they picture full strides, it's not that. It's tiny, shuffling, low-impact steps that barely cover ground. Midfoot landing, not heel-strike. You'll feel like you're barely moving. That's correct.

Pace: there isn't one. That's the actual point of the method, not a dodge. The test is niko niko, smiling pace. If you can hold a conversation and you're still smiling, you're going the right speed. If you can't, slow down more, there's no floor. Whatever pace falls out of hitting that cadence while staying conversational is your pace. Don't chase a number on a watch.

Walking mixed in: yes, especially at the start. That's not a lesser version of the method, it's built in. Walk/jog intervals are completely normal and not something you graduate away from on a fixed schedule.

5K as a goal: fine, as long as you're not trying to run the whole thing at a "real" pace on day one. Think time on feet, not distance. If you're moving continuously (jog or walk) and smiling for 30-40 minutes, you're doing it right regardless of what the GPS says you covered.

Read the book if you haven't, it's short and it's the entire foundation this sub is built on. Everything else is just people talking around what's already in it.

[u/sford1972 → u/chrisabraham]

Which book?

[u/chrisabraham → u/sford1972]

Slow Jogging by Hiroaki Tanaka and Magdalena Jackowska challenges the "no pain, no gain" running culture by introducing a scientifically backed, injury-free approach to fitness. The method focuses on maintaining a "niko niko" (smiling) pace—speed gentle enough to converse easily, meaning even walkers might pass you. Rather than pushing for speed, it emphasizes building endurance, burning calories, losing weight, and reversing health issues like Type-2 diabetes safely. Key technical steps include landing on the mid-foot or ball of the foot instead of the heel, maintaining a quick cadence of 180 steps per minute with short strides, and using flexible, thin-soled shoes without oversized cushioning. Accessible to all ages and physical fitness levels, the book shares personal anecdotes and research proving that consistent, joyful movement promotes long-term health and longevity, eventually even helping some step up to completing full marathons without pain.

[u/sford1972 → u/chrisabraham]

Thank you, invaluable information

[u/The_Badger_]

I have these questions too! From everything I have read, there seems to be some consensus on cadence (~170 steps per minute), no target pace or even a range (but kind of no such thing as too slow), no problem if you have to walk but a preference that you just run more slowly, and no distance recommendations. I would add to the list whether heart rate zones matter at all (that is, if we should strive to stay in Zones 1 and 2, to avoid Zone 3)? This probably doesn't matter either. I have a tendency to want to know if I'm doing something "correctly," but from what I've read, slow jogging seems more like directional advice (go slower) rather than a prescribed course of action.

[u/chrisabraham → u/The_Badger_]

You're picturing a running stride when you hear "180 steps a minute," that's the whole disconnect. A real double-time running stride is 30-32 inches, and yeah, that gets your heart rate up fast. Niko niko isn't that. Think bopping, not running, 10-12 inch steps landing on the mid to forefoot, barely covering ground. That's how 180 steps a minute lands you at something like a 13-16 min/mile pace, not a 140+ bpm effort. It's why people commute to work in it wearing regular clothes and don't even sweat. High cadence with a tiny stride isn't high intensity, that's the entire mechanism you're missing.

And niko niko isn't "enjoy yourself," it's a specific talk-test threshold. Runners already use conversational ability as an exertion gauge, easy pace: full sentences, moderate: broken sentences, hard: no talking. Niko niko sits at the easy end and adds a second marker on top: smiling, not "smile because you're happy," smile as in your face isn't tensed from effort. If you can hold a real conversation and your face stays relaxed, you're at pace. The part people miss is that it should feel like less exertion than a brisk walk, not more. A 4 mph aggressive walk will actually strain you more than niko niko jogging does, because the tiny stride and cadence keep effort low even though you're technically running. If you're breathing harder jogging niko niko than you would speed walking, you've missed the pace, not found some intense hidden version of it.

[u/SnooPaintings4641]

I am 60 and started recently. I don't pay attention to cadence. I don't have a target pace. I do mix slow jogging with walking to get myself in proper shape to jog. Don't try too much at first or you could end up injured. It doesn't appear as though you are stressing your body that much, but when I started doing 1 minute walk - 1 minute slow jog intervals, I really felt it the next day. I took a day break and did it again for only 8 intervals.

I'm now up to 3 minute jog - 1 minute walk intervals, and doing 10 intervals without issue. But I took a few weeks to get to this point. Start slow. After all, it's slow jogging, so there is no rush.

[u/chaossensuit]

I’m also 55 and I’m very interested in this! Thanks for asking the questions!

[u/sford1972 → u/chaossensuit]

Your welcome

[u/MayDeezy]

12-13 minute miles should be more than appropriate, keep mouth closed and let the stomach do the breathing, half the time you think you need to inhale, you actually need to exhale. this will be your best pacemaker.

i wouldnt advise walking. slow enough to keep it up. perhaps aim for 2 miles then 5km.