How Your Personality Shapes What Types of Exercise Suit Your Best

Everyone already knows exercise is good for you, but many have trouble transforming that knowledge 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. By doing this, you’ll be able to choose specific types of exercises that fit you best and actually bring you joy, pleasure, and satisfaction – keeping you motivated to stick with these new habits in the long-term.

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

The Big 5 Personality Traits is the most popular model in psychology for studying individual differences.

These traits can be influenced by our environment and past experiences, as well as our genes and biology. For example, some people are just naturally more introverted or extraverted, so accepting where we lie on these traits is important for self-awareness and making the right choices in life.

Before we go into how these personality traits influence our exercise preferences, let’s make sure we have a basic understanding 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.


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.


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)


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.


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.”

As you read about each trait, you can probably estimate a rough guess on where you score for each one. You can find some 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,” it often depends on the context. For example, while we typically see “agreeable” as being a positive trait, some studies show that those who rank high on agreeableness can also be 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.

The goal of learning about the Big 5 is to discover more about how your mind works. Being honest with yourself is a prerequisite to all self-improvement. Remember each trait can fuel both healthy and unhealthy behaviors depending on the person, situation, and context. Once you learn more about your personality, you can make smarter and better choices that suit you best in the long run.

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

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.

Openness

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 weekly or daily routine by keeping exercises and activities similar on a frequent basis until you’re comfortable with them. Also considering sticking to only one place for your workout (gym or home) to build consistency and familiarity.

Conscientiousness

High Conscientiousness: Naturally good at sticking to new habits, keeping themselves motivated, and tracking their progress. They are less likely to need a supervisor, coach, or trainer to hold them accountable, so they can often maintain a consistent routine without outside help or assistance.

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

Extraversion

High Extraversion: Most likely to be motivated when exercising with other people, especially team-based or group-based activities that have a social component to them. Consider joining a fitness group, sports league, or dancing class where you can meet new people and spend time with friends.

Low Extraversion: Often 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, which may be distracting or unpleasant. They would rather have their own workout space.

Agreeableness

High Agreeableness: Often enjoys exercises that involve cooperation and teamwork where they can give and receive support from others in a kind and friendly manner (such as kayaking, group hikes, or mountain climbing). Competitive environments may be too overwhelming or intense for them, so solo activities like surfing, skateboarding, or dancing can also be great options.


Low Agreeableness: Often enjoys exercises that involve direct competition (most sports like basketball, soccer, football, or baseball), as well as trainers or work-out buddies who challenge them and push them to new limits. They are most motivated when they turn things into a friendly contest that they can “win.” Also enjoy trying to beat their personal records and high scores.

Neuroticism

High Neuroticism: Due to high stress and anxiety, they benefit more from fun and relaxing exercises and workout environments. They should try to ease their way into new routines by taking small steps and setting realistic goals that they can achieve, feel good about, and boost their confidence. They may need extra support and encouragement from others when first starting out.

Low Neuroticism: They often have an easier time throwing themselves into new activities and environments and adapting to them. May get bored if the activity is too easy or not stimulating for them. Usually enjoy exciting and high intensity exercises, including positive thrill-seeking such as extreme sports or high pressure situations in sports or competitions.

Conclusion

This is just a 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 best for you.

In general it’s easier to stay motivated and build a sustainable lifestyle when you’re engaging with activities that resonate with you on an individual level. This will lead to more long-term success than just following the latest workout trends or diet fads.

What types of physical activities do you find naturally fun, enjoyable, or easy? Consider starting a list of hobbies or exercises that best fit your preferences. What are some changes you could make to your health routine to make it better suit you and your personal needs?

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