Workouts tailored to personality can be more satisfying

Exercise is good for the body and can be beneficial for the mind. But when it comes to the type of activity, the quality of the sweat might vary from mundane to wonderful depending on your personality.

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“People tend to think that there’s one best way to go about an exercise routine, but one-size-fits-all doesn’t apply here. Instead, it’s important to know who you are and select a type of exercise that fits,” said John Hackston, a psychologist with the British firm OPP, which markets personality assessment programs and business psychology solutions. He also led a study presented at the last meeting of the British Psychological Society.

“We were keen to investigate how organizations could help their staffs’ development through exercise, finding that matching an individual’s personality type to a particular type of exercise can increase both the effectiveness and the person’s enjoyment of it,” he explained in an interview with Science Daily.

The survey of more than 800 people from diverse businesses in several countries showed that certain exercise activities and settings attract certain personalities.

Extroverts might prefer the hustle bustle of a health club, where group exercise classes and rows of equipment provide the opportunity for the shedding of sweat in a social setting and can offer the group motivation to keep the exercise going. By contrast, introverts might prefer the rejuvenating peace and solitude of a long-distance run or walk.

The findings went further. Regimented exercise was appealing to those whose outlook on the world was through the lens of objective logic, but not those who place more importance on feelings and values.

The changing nature of the outdoors attracted people with a more creative mindset, particularly those open to new ideas. For these folks, outdoor activities like running and cycling fit the bill better than the local gym.

“The most important piece of advice to come out of this research is that there is not one type of exercise that is suited to everyone, ” Mr. Hackston said. “There can be pressure to follow the crowd to the gym or sign up to the latest exercise fad, but it would be much more effective for them to match their personality type to an exercise plan that is more likely to last the test of time.”

Click here to read about the study.