Customizing Exercise Routines Based on Personality: A Potential Approach to Enhance Enjoyment and Efficiency in Workouts
New research has highlighted the significant impact of personality traits on both the type and enjoyment of exercise, potentially revolutionising the way we approach physical activity. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, used the Big Five personality framework - extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness - to understand the role of personality in exercise preferences and adherence.
The research, co-led by Professor Paul Burgess of UCL, found that extroverts tend to thrive in social exercise environments, preferring high-intensity, group-based activities such as team sports or high-intensity interval training (HIIT). On the other hand, individuals with higher neuroticism prefer shorter bursts of activity and private or independent exercise sessions, avoiding being monitored or tracked.
Individuals high in conscientiousness are more likely to stick with exercise routines, regardless of enjoyment, due to their sense of responsibility and discipline. They are drawn to structured programs and consistent schedules. Meanwhile, the link between agreeableness and specific exercise preferences is less clear, although it may influence the choice of group activities or activities that benefit others. People high in openness are more willing to try new experiences and may enjoy varied or innovative forms of exercise.
These findings have practical applications for encouraging physical activity. By understanding a person’s personality, exercise recommendations can be tailored to their preferences, increasing the likelihood of enjoyment and long-term adherence. For example, extroverts may be encouraged to join group classes or sports leagues, while those high in neuroticism might benefit from private, flexible, and shorter workout options.
Matching activities to personality traits can also help individuals struggling to maintain an active lifestyle by identifying exercises they genuinely enjoy, thereby improving motivation and persistence. Furthermore, fitness professionals and health coaches can use personality assessments to design or recommend programs that accommodate individuals’ preferences and behavioral tendencies, potentially increasing program effectiveness and participant satisfaction.
The study, involving 132 participants aged between 25 and 51 years old, found that personality traits influenced how exercise affected someone’s stress levels. People who scored highly in neuroticism had a significant reduction in self-reported stress following eight weeks of exercise. The participants completed a questionnaire revealing their personality traits before and after the study, with 86 completing both pre- and post-testing.
Professor Burgess emphasised that personality traits are descriptions of how people behave in certain situations, not inherent characteristics. He and his team hope their findings encourage people to reduce stress through exercise, offering a more personalised approach to exercise that caters to individual preferences and needs.
The study's findings are particularly relevant given that only 22.5% of adults and 19% of adolescents worldwide manage the World Health Organization-recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. By understanding and catering to personality traits, health professionals and individuals can foster greater engagement, enjoyment, and long-term participation in physical activity.
- The study emphasizes that by tailoring exercise recommendations to an individual's personality traits, we can potentially increase enjoyment and long-term adherence, thereby fostering greater engagement in health-and-wellness activities and improving mental health.
- For instance, extroverts might be encouraged to join fitness-and-exercise groups or teams, while individuals with higher neuroticism may benefit from flexibility and independence in their workout routines.
- Moreover, fitness professionals and health coaches can integrate personality assessments into their programs to design customized fitness-and-exercise plans that cater to clients' personality traits, ultimately leading to improved lifestyle, fitness-and-exercise adherence, and reduced stress levels.
