Nervous Runners: When, Where, and How to Run to Lose Weight

As a slightly overweight American, I don't really enjoy running during the day, where people will look at me as I run. I dread running into someone I know, while running in public. Rational or not, it's something I don't really like to deal with, so I've come up with a few different methods for running that will avoid publicity by almost all means. I know there are many other people who would enjoy running outdoors that don't wish to deal with the paranoia of other people staring at them, so these ideas should work great for you.

Early Morning

Running early in the morning is a great way to avoid running into other people, or people you might know. Running between 4-5 am is a pretty safe bet that you're not going to run into many people while you're out. It might be hard to wake up on time for this, and you might not be just ready to go on a run right away this early, so make sure to wake up early a few days in advance before you start exercising on such an early schedule.

Late Night

Sometimes early morning just doesn't cut it for people. I prefer to run at night because I hate waking up extremely early during the summer, and I prefer to socialize and be around people during the evening. So I choose to run late at night, around 11-midnight. This is a great time because during the week, almost everyone is already inside or sleeping for the night. You're not likely to run into many people on this schedule either, and I find that this is an easier schedule for me to stick to, since late nights are something I'm used to.

Location

Not only are you not going to run into many people if you run during times where there aren't many people outside, but you're going to have even a lesser chance if you run somewhere where there aren't going to be any people at a particular time. I like running at a local park late at night, so I can run laps and keep my runs similar and increasing with each night. I also like running "laps" because this gives me personal goals that are easy to increase in even increments.

Over time

Over time you should start to get into shape and become more confident, you will be able to work out in public, eventually, I'm sure, and you will be able to run whenever it is most convenient for you, rather than whenever it is most inconvenient for most others to be outside. Find someone else to run with, if you feel more comfortable this way, I find running partners to be a really great benefit. You can help to push them, or you can get the extra little push you might need to keep your goals up.