If you want to exercise, find "your" path

According to British researchers, one of the reasons is a mismatch between personality type and the format of physical activity. A team of scientists from University College London found out: if you choose a workout that suits your psychological profile, exercise can be more enjoyable and even more effective.

"We found that a person's personality traits have a direct impact on how they perceive physical activity and which exercises spark their interest," Dr Flaminia Ronca from the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at UCL told us.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, found: motivation and stress during exercise depends not only on the exercise regime, but also on the character of the individual themselves. According to Professor Paul Burgess from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, "understanding individual differences in personality will help to design more sustainable fitness programmes that people are more likely to stick to."

The study involved volunteers divided into two groups. One followed an eight-week home programme (exercise bike and strength training), while the other maintained their usual lifestyle. All participants filled out questionnaires about how much they enjoyed exercising.

Five basic personality traits were studied: extraversion, conscientiousness, helpfulness, neuroticism and openness to new things. The results were predictable but illuminating.

"Our brains are structured differently - this is reflected in how we perceive physical activity," Ronca explained.

People with high levels of extraversion preferred exercising with others - for example, team sports or group exercise. Those who scored high on the neuroticism scale valued privacy more: they don't mind intense exercise, but need frequent breaks and solitude.

Conscientious participants continued to exercise even if they didn't enjoy it much, while those open to new things chose the activity out of curiosity, regardless of enjoyment.

One interesting observation was the dramatic reduction in stress in participants with high levels of anxiety. Before the programme, stress levels were similar in both groups, but after eight weeks of training, it was the "neurotics" who saw their stress levels drop particularly dramatically.

"This is great news," Ronca says. - Those who are more stressed than others respond particularly well to physical activity. We see a significant improvement in psycho-emotional well-being."

The researchers emphasise: it's important not to force yourself if you don't enjoy it.

"We don't have to enjoy every single workout. If it doesn't go in, we can try something else," Ronca says.

Burgess adds:

"Our goal is for people to find a physical activity they enjoy and do it voluntarily. After all, we don't force a dog to go for a walk - he's raring to go outside on his own. Only humans are capable of ignoring body signals to such an extent that they end up unhappy."

The authors believe that adapting the training process to individual personality traits can not only increase efficiency, but also make physical activity a source of pleasure

Study: Personality traits can predict which exercise intensities we enjoy most, and the magnitude of stress reduction experienced following a training programme. Frontiers in Psychology, 2025. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1587472.