The degree of enjoyment you get from an Exercise Program might vary substantially depending on your personality. You may find it harder to stay committed to a fitness regimen if it doesn’t go well with your main personality features. A quick exam called the “Big Five” inventory might show you where you lie on the spectrum of five key personality characteristics. This may assist you in identifying the kind of exercise that may provide you with the most advantages.
Your personal qualities significantly impact how much benefit you get from your Exercise program than your physical prowess. Research has shown that a person’s personality is a good indicator of their propensity for physical exercise. Motivation is one personality trait that profoundly impacts how individuals exercise.
“We need a feeling of independence. We should be acting in our own best interests. According to sports and performance psychologist Hayley Perlus, PhD, “we need intrinsic motivation if our objective is to accomplish something for the long term.”
Brenley Shapiro, MSW, RSW, RP, an NHL mental performance coach for the Arizona Coyotes, lists “instinctual competitive drive, introversion/extroversion levels, and self-management potential” as playing essential roles in the types of activities people are drawn to and how well they will succeed at them. These factors are in addition to whether or not someone is self-motivated.
To put it another way, your personality type might affect the sort of exercise you love—your likelihood of staying motivated to do it. Knowing your personality type may help you choose the optimal exercise, whether you’re considering starting a new fitness regimen or changing your current one.
What factors influence your personality type?
With so many self-report tools accessible online, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a sixteen-subtype personality scale, and the Enneagram, which divides individuals into nine separate subtypes, assessing personality has never been simpler.
Despite their availability and popularity, these measures are only somewhat scientifically rigorous and dependable.
The Big Five Personality Scale, which evaluates individuals based on five key features that all exist along a continuum, is preferred by many scientists and researchers in its place.
They include:
- Openness
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion/extroversion
- Agreeableness
- Nervosity, or the inability to handle stress
The Big Five inventory is a well-liked variation of the Big Five personality test available on various websites. This quick test will tell you where you lie on the spectrum for each attribute based on your responses to 50 multiple-choice questions.
How to choose the Exercise Program that suits your personality
Choose which of the following workout kinds will be the most excellent match for you. You might want to avoid this by understanding where you lie on the spectrum for each personality feature within the Big Five.
Those who like adventure and exploration will find hiking to be a terrific type of exercise.
For those who are open: Hiking
Adventure-seeking and a desire to try new things directly correlate with openness.
For those with this personality feature, hiking may be an exceptionally fascinating pastime because of the constantly changing weather and the chance to discover new terrain. In addition to being an excellent method to burn calories, hiking has also been shown to affect one’s mental health positively.
A 2019 research revealed that those who hiked for at least two hours a week reported better physical and mental well-being in a natural or urban environment.
According to a recent study, even brief 5-minute walks every 30 minutes throughout an 8-hour shift may help decrease blood sugar and blood pressure.
It could be a good match for you to take a HIIT class if you want to stick to a schedule.
For those with high conscientiousness levels: Training with High-Intensity Intervals (HIIT)
Perlus says those with high conscientiousness scores are often drawn to structure and order. They usually pay attention to detail and are well-prepared.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) could be proper if you possess this personality attribute. Short bursts of intensive exercise intersperse with low-intensity rest intervals to create HIIT workouts.
HIIT Exercise Program often plans with specific goals in mind and provides a defined schedule for participants.
An average HIIT exercise lasts 10 to 30 minutes. Nevertheless, studies have shown that HIIT sessions may burn 25–30% more calories than other types of exercise, despite their brief duration.
Yoga is recommended for those with low extraversion levels.
Spending time alone generally recharges people who rate low on the extraversion scale. And makes social engagements seem more tiring than those who rank higher on this personality characteristic.
Yoga is an excellent exercise for those with more introverted personalities since it focuses on bringing your attention within during the whole practice and has many positive effects on your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
While most people associate yoga with ways to increase strength and flexibility, yoga encompasses a wide variety of activities. Some could even be less concerned with the body and more interested in enhancing their mind and soul via breathwork or meditation.
Numerous studies have shown that yoga may enhance sleep, lower anxiety, and strengthen the immune system.
