Do you prefer group CrossFit or running alone with your headphones on? Do you exercise for health, for aesthetics, or to socialize? New research suggests that our choices — and our initial fitness level — may be more determined by our personality than we think.
The study, published Tuesday in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology, analyzes how the Big Five personality traits — extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to experience, and conscientiousness — relate to physical fitness, preference for different types of exercise, and the ability to stick to a workout program. According to the authors, personality not only influences whether we exercise or not, but also which type we find most enjoyable and how it helps us manage stress.
The findings also suggest that tailoring exercise type to personality could not only improve adherence to physical activity programs but also enhance their benefits. This is no small matter: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), only about 20% of adults and adolescents meet the recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week.
“Knowing ourselves and understanding the personality of our patients can help us make personalized recommendations that promote more sustainable changes in physical activity habits,” explains the lead author of the study, Flaminia Ronca, a professor at University College London (UCL).
The researchers worked with healthy individuals who enrolled in the study after seeing advertisements on social media or via email. Each participant was randomly assigned either to an eight-week home training program — which combined aerobic exercise on a stationary bike with strength training — or to a control group that maintained their usual lifestyle. Those following the training program completed exercise sessions of varying types and intensities.
During the study, variables such as baseline physical condition, cardiorespiratory capacity (estimated through maximum oxygen consumption or VO₂ peak), muscle mass, enjoyment level with exercise intensity, and stress levels were measured. These data were then analyzed in relation to the Big Five personality traits, the most widely accepted model in current psychology.
Intensity is for extroverts
In the case of muscle mass, age and sex were the main influencing factors, not personality. However, clear associations appeared between certain traits and initial fitness or adherence to training. For example, those scoring high in extraversion — sociable people who enjoy stimulating environments — tended to have better physical fitness from the start. They also showed higher VO₂ peak (a key indicator of athletic performance), greater pedaling power, and better exercise tolerance. Not only did they perform better, but they also particularly enjoyed demanding sessions like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), especially when others were present.
On the other hand, people with high scores in conscientiousness — a trait linked to organization, discipline, and persistence — tended to exercise more weekly, participate more frequently in training clubs, and achieve better results in physical tests like push-ups or planks. They also had a lower body fat percentage. This is not surprising: conscientiousness is strongly associated with adopting and maintaining healthy habits long-term, as these individuals tend to be persevering and goal-oriented.
Openness to experience — linked to curiosity, imagination, and reflection — was not associated with better initial fitness or greater enjoyment of intense exercise. On the contrary, those who scored high in this trait rated more demanding sessions less favorably. Agreeableness also showed no significant associations, which aligns with findings from previous research.
Anxious people gain the most benefits
Having a higher level of neuroticism — a trait associated with anxiety, constant worry, stress, or emotional instability — was not related to worse initial fitness, but it was linked to slower heart rate recovery after exertion. These individuals — who might be stereotypically compared in fiction to characters like George Costanza from Seinfeld or Bridget Jones — tended to enjoy short, low-intensity sessions, especially if they could do them in private without being watched. Paradoxically, they did not have a higher dropout rate, although they were less likely to monitor their heart rate during training.
Most strikingly, this group experienced the greatest reduction in perceived stress at the end of the program, regardless of their physical improvements. In other words, even if their performance wasn’t better than others, they benefitted emotionally from the experience. This finding suggests that although they might not always enjoy exercise, they may need it more than anyone else. It also opens the door to new ways of prescribing physical activity as a personalized tool for emotional regulation.
While it seems logical that people more prone to stress gain greater psychological benefits from exercise, Paul W. Burgess, professor at UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and coauthor of the study, proposes an additional hypothesis based on previous work in his lab. “Using brain imaging techniques, we have observed that during problem-solving and reflection activities — recommended by cognitive psychologists for overcoming difficulties — certain areas of the prefrontal cortex are intensely activated,” he explains. “We have also found that these same areas are activated with physical exercise, and that the intensity of this activation is related to a person’s tendency to experience depression.”
In other words, exercise activates brain regions we use to face problems and overcome obstacles, which helps us better manage stress and negative emotions. “This is a line of research we continue to explore,” says Burgess.
The study reinforces the idea that there is no one-size-fits-all exercise program. While extroverts tend to enjoy more intense and stimulating routines, people with high neuroticism levels might benefit from more discreet, flexible, and solitary activities. “What we wanted to find out is why personality influences physical fitness: whether certain traits make people enjoy certain types or intensities of exercise more, so we can design personalized recommendations, especially useful for motivating sedentary people,” explains Ronca.
However, personality shouldn’t be seen as a barrier. “It’s a good idea to try different things and observe how we feel,” adds Ronca. “It’s pointless to prescribe a perfect plan if the person follows it for only six weeks and then returns to a sedentary lifestyle. Enjoyment is key to changing habits.”
The challenge of motivating sedentary people
Sports psychologist José Carrascosa, who did not participate in the research, considers it a valuable study but encourages readers to interpret it with nuance. “There is a clear hereditary basis for personality traits, and for abilities such as a predisposition to physical activity or musical acumen,” notes Carrascosa.
But this predisposition isn’t set in stone: environment, learning, and social context can shape it. “I call that predisposition the ‘spark’ each of us has,” he explains. He gives an example: “A football fan would say Messi’s talent is innate, that he ‘was born to score goals.’ But that’s not the case. Messi probably handled the ball skillfully even as a baby, but without a training context, he wouldn’t have become who he is. His visuomotor skills and spatial-temporal intelligence may be innate, but his football excellence is explained by the fact that he grew up with a ball at his feet.”
For the study’s authors, this research represents a step toward a more personalized view of physical activity — one that takes into account not only the body’s abilities but also personality traits. “I don’t think there are specific sports for every personality, but there are people who may feel more comfortable in some sports than others,” says Carrascosa, who has also been a guidance counselor at a secondary school.
Based on his experience with both athletes and teenagers, tailoring psychological support to each individual’s profile makes a difference: “A young person with high neuroticism and perfectionist traits can be a great soccer player, but they will require specific support to learn how to manage the stress of group sports, while a very extroverted and absent-minded child will need to strengthen their discipline and concentration.”
Ultimately, understanding our personality traits is not about determining what type of exercise we must do or what sport we should practice, but it can help us design the right environments, supports, and routines to get — and stay — fit in the long term.
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