How Your Personality Shapes What Types of Exercise Work Best For You

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Everyone knows exercise is good for you, but many have trouble transforming that belief into action and making exercise a consistent habit in their lives.

One reason may be lack of motivation or discipline, but another reason could be that you just haven’t yet found the type of exercise that works best for you and resonates with you.

The more we know ourselves, the easier it is to create new habits that work for us.

So the first step toward exercising more is understanding your individual personality. And by doing this, you’ll be able to choose types of exercises that fit you best and actually bring you happiness, pleasure, and joy – keeping you motivated to stick with these new habits in the long-term.

In this article, we will look at the Big 5 Personality Traits (one of the most common measures of personality in psychology) and how each of these traits can influence you preferences for different types of exercise and fitness.



The Big 5 Personality Traits

The Big 5 Personality Traits are the most commonly studied traits in psychology. These traits are heavily influenced by our genes and biology, so understanding where we lie on them is important for self-awareness and improving our lives.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each trait:

Openness to experience – High openness to experience is associated with creativity and intellectual curiosity, while low openness to experience is associated with caution, stability, and consistency.

– High openness to experience is associated with creativity and intellectual curiosity, while low openness to experience is associated with caution, stability, and consistency.

Example (high): “I like learning new things.”



Example (low): “I don’t consider myself an intellectual person.”



Conscientiousness – High conscientiousness is associated with organization and efficiency, while low conscientiousness is associated with being carefree and easy-going.

– High conscientiousness is associated with organization and efficiency, while low conscientiousness is associated with being carefree and easy-going.

Example (high): “I like to be prepared and follow a schedule.”



Example (low): “I can be a messy and disorganized person.”



Extraversion – High extraversion is associated with being more outgoing and energetic, while low extraversion is associated with being more reserved and enjoying solitude. (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved)

– High extraversion is associated with being more outgoing and energetic, while low extraversion is associated with being more reserved and enjoying solitude. (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved)

Example (high): “I like being around people and don’t mind being the center of attention.”



Example (low): “I find people often drain my energy.”



Agreeableness – High agreeableness is associated with being friendly and compassionate, while low agreeableness is associated with being more challenging and critical.

– High agreeableness is associated with being friendly and compassionate, while low agreeableness is associated with being more challenging and critical.

Example (high): “I like to help people and sympathize with their feelings.”



Example (low): “I like to debate others about controversial subjects.”



Neuroticism – High neuroticism is associated with sensitivity and nervousness, while low neuroticism is associated with security and confidence.

Example (high): “I get stressed out easily.”



Example (low): “I am relaxed most of the time.”

This is just a quick breakdown of the Big 5 Personality Traits. As you read about them, you can probably estimate a rough guess on where you score for each one. You can find some free tests online for a more thorough analysis.

Keep in mind that none of these traits are “either/or,” but instead they exist on a spectrum. A person can be highly extraverted, moderately extraverted, or only mildly extraverted.

Also remember that none of these traits are necessarily “good” or “bad,” but it often depends on the context and situation. For example, while we typically see “agreeable” as being a positive trait, some studies show that those who rank high on agreeableness are also more conformist and obedient, like in this study done using the Milgram Experiment. And while we typically see “neuroticism” as being a negative trait, another study shows that neuroticism and conscientiousness together can help motivate more healthy and goal-oriented behaviors.

It’s important to not judge these personality traits as necessarily “good” or “bad,” but to see how they can fuel both healthy and unhealthy behaviors depending on the context.

Now let’s focus on how the Big 5 Personality Traits translate when it comes to physical exercise.



How Personality Influences Exercise Preferences

Now that we know the basics behind the Big 5 Personality Traits, let’s focus on how this can influence our exercise preferences and how we can use this information to choose a workout that fits us best.

Here’s a simple breakdown of exercise preferences for each personality trait:

High Openness: Seek a variety of new exercises and activities (anything from Yoga to rock climbing) to keep your mind stimulated and fresh. Also practice working out at different places instead of just going to the gym, such as in nature or at the beach.



Low Openness: Seek a stable routine by keeping exercises and activities similar on a day-to-day basis until you are comfortable with them. Also stick to only one place for your workout to build consistency and familiarity.



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High Conscientiousness: Naturally good at sticking to new habits, keeping themselves motivated, and tracking their progress. Less likely to need a supervisor or trainer to hold them accountable.



Low Conscientiousness: Not as responsible at keeping up with their habits, so benefit more from a trainer, supervisor, or “workout buddy.” It’s encouraged that they seek mobile apps and/or activity trackers to monitor their progress and hold themselves more accountable.



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High Extraversion: Feed off exercising with other people, especially team-based or group-based exercises that have a heavy social component to them. A dancing class, sports league, or group gym session are some examples of activities that would appeal to them.



Low Extraversion: Prefer exercising by themselves, especially solitary activities like jogging, swimming, lifting weights at home, or going for a bike ride. Less likely to be motivated at a crowded gym or in a large group setting, would rather have their own space.



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High Agreeableness: Enjoy exercises that involve cooperation and teamwork where they can give and receive support from others in a kind and friendly manner. Competitive environments may be too overwhelming or intense for them.

Low Agreeableness: Enjoy exercises that involve competition, as well as trainers or work-out buddies that challenge them and push them. Often benefit from turning things into a friendly contest that they can “win.” Also enjoy trying to beat their personal records and high scores.

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High Neuroticism: Due to high stress and anxiety, they benefit more from fun and relaxing exercises and workout environments. Should try to ease their way into new routines by taking smaller steps until they are more comfortable and stable. Need extra support and encouragement from others when starting out.



Low Neuroticism: Have an easier time throwing themselves into new routines and environments and adapting to them. Enjoy exciting and high intensity exercises, and they are good at high pressure situations in sports and competitions.

This is just a quick summary of how these Big 5 Personality Traits can influence your exercise preferences.

Ultimately, the more you understand yourself, the easier it will be to build a healthy and fit lifestyle that works for you and not against you. It’s easier to stay motivated when you’re engaging with activities that resonate with you on an individual level.

Which traits do you find influence your fitness preferences the most? What are some changes you could make to your exercise routine to make it better suit you and your personal needs?



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