The Best Exercise for Each of the ‘Big 5’ Personality Types—According to Science
Matching your personality to your workout may boost motivation and results
Struggling to find an exercise program that you like enough to stick with? About 31 percent of adults fall short of the recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week, according to the World Health Organization. That’s in part because when exercise isn’t enjoyable, we’re less likely to take time out of our busy days to do it. But now, a study found the best type of exercise for your personality can make physical activity more fun. Here we break down what the research shows and how to home in on the right exercise for you.
Why matching your workout to your personality works
A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology earlier this month found that matching your personality to a workout might make for more effective training with longer-lasting results. Researchers at University College London set out to find the link between personality traits and various types of exercise.
“Understanding personality factors in designing and recommending physical activity programs is likely to be very important in determining how successful a program is, and whether people will stick with it and become fitter,” said Paul Burgess, PhD, senior author and professor at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, in a press release.
Woman's World Answers
The researchers at UCL recruited 132 adults to participate in the study and split them into two groups. After completing baseline fitness testing, those in the control group were provided with stretching exercises and continued their typical lifestyles. The other group was asked to follow a home fitness regimen that included strength training and cycling workouts of varying intensity based on their personality traits.
What are the ‘Big Five’ personality traits?
All of the volunteers were asked to fill out a questionnaire that measured the Big Five personality traits to find which personality type thrives doing a certain exercise. Those traits include:
- Openness to experience: an intellectually curious person who has a vibrant, creative imagination
- Conscientiousness: someone who is organized, responsible and productive
- Extroversion: a person who is sociable and assertive
- Agreeableness: someone with compassion, respect for others and trust
- Neuroticism: a person who may be prone to anxiety or depression
It’s important to note that we all have many of these traits to some degree, but some are often more prominent than others.
The best type of exercise for your personality
At the end of the eight-week study, the researchers found that there were connections between certain personality traits and types of exercise. Here’s what the results showed:
Open to new things? Try switching up your routine
For those who are inquisitive and open to new experiences, try joining a class you’ve never taken before (like Pilates). Or simply vary your workout from day to day, dancing one day, hiking the next and biking around your neighborhood another.
People who are more open also tend to be more in tune with their bodies, the study found, which means you might want to consider mindfulness exercises or spending time in nature focusing on the soothing sensations, too.
Conscientious? Try low-intensity exercise
People who align more with the conscientious trait, prioritizing organization, productivity and responsibility, are more likely to participate in a regimen if it’s “good for them,” rather than enjoying it.
This personality type thrives doing low-intensity exercise through a consistent workout class or plan. If you fit this personality type, you are more likely to stick to your goals if there is structure, whether you join a gym or make a schedule for yourself.
“For people who are timid about hard workouts, I recommend low-impact workouts,” says Jill Brown, a Certified Master Health & Fitness coach and Nutritionist. “This can be walking on a treadmill, stationary bike, swimming, Pilates or yoga.”
Extroverted? Try HIIT workouts
Extroverts enjoyed high-intensity sessions the most and saw the largest fitness improvements in the study. People with extroverted tendencies should consider high-intensity interval training (HIIT), with short bursts of intense exercise and bouts of rest.
They also may do better working out with other people because of their social tendencies (group fitness classes, anyone?). Extroverts should also try participating in a team sport, like pickleball or tennis.
“One thing we know regarding the psychology of exercise is that accountability and connections make a huge difference for many people trying to stick to a routine,” Brown says. “This definitely tracks with what I see in the wild.”
Agreeable? Try taking a relaxed bike ride
While researchers didn’t find a strong connection between agreeableness and exercise, they did find that those who score high in this personality trait might enjoy an “easy, long” bike ride.
Neurotic? Try short, solo workouts at home
Those with a strong tendency towards anxiety preferred bursts of intensity rather than prolonged intensity. If you think your personality type might align with this trait, try a short, brisk run or outdoor bike ride. The study found that you also might be more keen on working out alone or in private.
“We found that people who scored more highly in the neuroticism personality trait showed a particularly strong reduction in stress when they undertook the fitness training recommended in the study,” Burgess said in the news release. “This suggests that there may be particular benefits in stress reduction for those with this trait.”
Should you change your exercise routine to match your personality?
“Where this information may be helpful could be when someone is looking to start an exercise routine and wants to have an enjoyable first experience,” Brown says.
“For example, if you’re not extroverted and your first experience is jumping into a packed spinning class,” she says, “you may have a miserable time, giving you a reason to keep putting off starting a new routine.”
The researchers concluded that the most effective way to improve your activity levels is by finding something that you enjoy doing.
“My advice is if you know your personality type, this may help you decide what type of workout to start with,” Brown says. “I think it’s important to try a variety of things in the beginning that look interesting and see what feels the most enjoyable to you. Ultimately, creating a routine you can stick to is a clinical trial of one.”
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