If you’re struggling to find an exercise routine to stick with, it could be because your program isn’t customised to your personality, according to new research.
In results that were published in Frontiers in Psychology, UK academics looked at how personality influences our preferred forms of exercise as well as our dedication to and participation in them.
Author Dr Flaminia Ronca from University College London's (UCL) Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health said: “We found that our personality can influence how we engage with exercise, and particularly which forms of exercise we enjoy the most.”
“Understanding personality factors in designing and recommending physical activity programs is likely to be very important in determining how successful a program is, and whether people will stick with it and become fitter,” contributed senior author Prof Paul Burgess from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Before being divided into two groups, the 132 adults the researchers recruited underwent baseline fitness testing.
They then divided them into two groups, one of which received an eight-week home fitness program consisting of weight training and cycling (intervention group), while the other group carried on with their regular routine (control group).
Every participant filled out a questionnaire about how much they had enjoyed each training session during lab testing, the first week of the intervention, and the post-intervention period. The study looked at extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness as personality qualities.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises and aerobic fitness lab tests were enjoyable for the more extroverted participants.
However, only 86 extroverted participants finished the study overall because those with high extraversion scores were less likely to complete follow-up testing. Furthermore, there was no larger gain in fitness among extroverts.
Individuals with greater neuroticism scores, or a propensity for moodiness or anxiety, preferred at-home low-intensity workouts to lab supervision. Additionally, they were less likely to check their own heart rates.
The scientists pointed out that the only individuals in the exercise group who displayed reduced stress were those with high neuroticism, which is a significant result for those who suffer from anxiety.
At baseline, the more conscientious participants worked out more hours per week and showed greater physical condition. However, that characteristic did not indicate an individual's level of enjoyment of exercise.
“Our brains are wired in different ways, which drives our behaviours and how we interact with our environment,” Dr Ronca said.
“So it's not surprising that personality would also influence how we respond to different intensities of exercise.”
But how will you know which workout suits your personality?
Try out a number of routines to find one you enjoy the most. Once you’ve established one that works for you, for instance, running, start small and build consistency.
Be patient with yourself and seek help if you’re ever stuck.
