Gaby
A study by a team at University College London led by Professor Flaminia Ronca found that people who enjoy exercising are more likely to stick with it. The team also found that personalized training plans work better than one-size-fits-all programs.
“There’s no point in offering someone the perfect workout plan if they’re not going to follow it. Enjoyment is key to changing behavior. If we want to encourage people to be more active, we need to take a more strategic approach to finding activities that people enjoy so they keep coming back,” Professor Ronca said in an interview with BBC Science Focus.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
During the study, the team examined how personality types relate to different forms of exercise and to exercise intensity.
The researchers classified participants according to the Big Five personality traits: agreeableness (willingness to cooperate), conscientiousness (self-control and attention to detail), extraversion (sociability), neuroticism (anxiety, moodiness, tendency toward negative emotions), and openness to experience.
The team found that extraverts preferred high-intensity workouts. The researchers suggested that sociable people gravitate toward energetic aerobic activities, especially those with social interaction, such as team sports or dance classes.
Meanwhile, participants rated higher in neuroticism preferred solitude and disliked being observed during the 15-minute cycling test used to assess their fitness. They were less likely to monitor their heart rate during workouts and often ignored the researchers’ requests.
“This suggests that people in this group likely value the opportunity to be independent and isolated during their workouts,” the lead researcher said. Overall, participants in this group favored relaxing exercises, such as stretching, although “high-intensity workouts were also acceptable if breaks could be taken.”
For those with pronounced anxiety, “there was a particularly noticeable reduction in stress levels after completing the exercise program,” Professor Ronca noted. “This is great news, as it confirms that those who benefit the most from such stress reduction have a very positive attitude toward physical exercise,” she added.
To determine how different personality types correlate with specific types of physical activity, the team assigned participants to an eight-week home fitness course that included cycling and strength training.
The participants’ fitness levels were measured at the beginning and end of the course. They also completed questionnaires that helped assess how people of certain personality types felt about various forms of exercise.
Agreeable and open individuals did not show a preference for any particular type of exercise.
“It’s perfectly fine if you don’t like a certain exercise. You can always try something else,” Professor Ronca remarked.
