So much for nama-staying in bed.
Exercise is said to be the best habit for aging well — even a lazy, five-minute workout can improve muscle strength and heart health.
But if you’re struggling to get going, a new study suggests that aligning your fitness routine with your personality type can significantly improve the odds that you’ll stick with it.
“We know that the global population is becoming increasingly sedentary. You often hear about people trying to become more active, but struggling to make lasting changes,” said Flaminia Ronca, a researcher at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) in the UK.
“In this study, we wanted to understand how personality can influence this to support the development of effective interventions for changes in health behavior.”
The research team assessed 132 volunteers randomly assigned to an eight-week cycling and strength-training program or a resting control group.
Participants completed detailed questionnaires measuring the “Big Five” personality traits: extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness and neuroticism.
While everyone who finished the program — 86 people — got fitter, how much they enjoyed the workouts depended on who they were on the inside.
“We found some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual — and hopefully help them to become and remain more active,” Ronca said.
Extroverts preferred exercise that puts their big energy to good use, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and the type of all-out cycling sprints that can wreck you in spin class.
They were, however, less likely to follow through.
Neurotic, anxious types favored more low-key workouts — and, unsurprisingly, they disliked being monitored, making them perhaps a better fit for solo, at-home programs.
They did, however, experience the biggest reduction in stress, implying people prone to anxiety might reap the biggest mental health benefits from exercise.
Conscientious types tended to have better all-around fitness levels, but they didn’t necessarily enjoy one style versus another — probably because they viewed exercise as something good for them, not something designed to be fun.
“Extroverts often prefer team sports or group fitness classes, and they get energy from fellow exercisers,” Dr. Blaise Aguirre, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at McLean Hospital in Arlington, Massachusetts, who wasn’t involved with the study, told NBC News.
“On the other hand, others who are more conscientious would be drawn to structured, schedule-based activities — say, a specific class at a gym where a specific and predictable routine is followed — and this is because this fits their organized, goal-oriented nature.”
Meanwhile, people with an open spirit may gravitate toward varied or unconventional workouts, while those with agreeable personalities are more likely to enjoy a relaxed, steady-paced bike ride, the study found.
The findings were published Monday in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
One thing’s for sure: if you want to work out more, find something that brings you joy.
