Being nervous can lead to agitation, irritability and a paralyzing anxiety when taken to the extreme. Endurance sports help reduce a person's stress level and improve mood and anxiety levels, according to a "ScienceDaily" article in 2008 titled "Runners' high demonstrated: Brain imaging shows release of endorphins in brain." If you are new to running but seek the health and emotional benefits it provides, working your way up to results slowly helps prevent discouragement or burnout.
Step 1
Talk to your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to start a jogging program. Your doctor may set a specific program to help you achieve weight loss, blood pressure and other heart health goals, or he may just give you the go-ahead to get started.
Step 2
Set realistic goals for your jogging routine. Setting lofty goals might lead to more stress and anxiety, the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. A beginner should start with a mile and jog it at a comfortable pace, adjusting goals based on that pace.
Step 3
Get a jogging partner or join a runner's group to meet people who help motivate you and build your confidence. Running together makes a workout social, further easing nervousness and tension.
Step 4
Jog long enough to feel tired but not completely exhausted. For some, 30 minutes of jogging three times a week helps reduce stress levels and give immediate reduction in tension and stress. This number is variable, according to Jacqueline Stenson, an MSNBC contributor on fitness. Marathon runners may experience a euphoria after a race, but this isn't the goal of fitness joggers; run consistent times and frequencies to get the best results over time.
Step 5
Focus on the path and the pace when running. Don't use the time to think about what is making you nervous. Place all energy on the goal of the run to take a break from your life's stresses.
Tips and Warnings
- Stretch before jogging to prevent injuries.
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