Summary: A new UCL study indicates that matching exercise type to an individual’s personality can improve adherence and reduce stress. Researchers observed that extraverts tended to prefer high-intensity workouts, while people high in neuroticism favored short, intense bursts and experienced the greatest stress relief from training. Conscientious participants were generally fitter and more disciplined, but their motivation often stemmed from health goals rather than enjoyment.
Tailoring exercise recommendations to a person’s personality profile could help them find activities they enjoy, stick with a routine, and gain greater psychological and physical benefits.
Key Facts:
- Personality match: Extraverts gravitated toward high-intensity exercise; people scoring high in neuroticism preferred short bursts and more privacy.
- Stress relief: Aerobic training produced substantial reductions in perceived stress for individuals high in neuroticism.
- Conscientiousness: Associated with better baseline fitness and consistent activity, though not necessarily with enjoying a particular exercise style.
Source: UCL
Finding an activity you enjoy appears to be a key factor in maintaining regular exercise and reaping long-term benefits, according to researchers from UCL.
Previous work has shown differences in personality across participants of various organised sports, but less was known about how personality shapes the types of exercise people actually prefer. This new research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, examined whether the Big Five personality traits predict which exercise intensities participants enjoy most, how well they adhere to a prescribed programme, and how their fitness and stress levels change as a result.
The study identified clear links between personality and exercise preferences. Extraversion was linked with greater enjoyment of very intense activity, while higher levels of neuroticism were associated with preferring short, intense efforts and avoiding prolonged sessions or constant monitoring. Conscientious people tended to be more physically fit and active overall but did not show a strong preference for specific exercise intensities based on enjoyment alone.
Dr Flaminia Ronca, the study’s first author from UCL Surgery & Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH), emphasised the importance of personality-sensitive approaches: “As global sedentary behaviour rises, many people struggle to make lasting activity changes. Understanding how personality influences exercise enjoyment and adherence can help design personalised interventions that promote long-term physical activity.”
The trial enrolled 132 volunteers from the general public with varied fitness backgrounds. Participants were randomly assigned to either an eight-week home-based cycling and bodyweight strength programme (intervention) or a resting control group. Baseline assessments measured aerobic fitness and strength, including press-ups, a timed plank to failure, countermovement jumps, a 30-minute low-intensity cycling session, and a V̇O2max test to estimate peak oxygen uptake. Participants also rated perceived stress on a 1–10 scale and completed a Big Five personality questionnaire.
Throughout the eight-week programme, intervention participants rated their enjoyment after each session. Of the 132 people who started, 86 completed the intervention; those who finished improved their fitness and strength regardless of personality profile.
How personality influences exercise enjoyment
The research revealed several notable associations between personality traits and exercise preferences:
- Extraversion: Participants scoring higher on extraversion reported greater enjoyment of very high-intensity activities, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and maximal-effort cycling tests.
- Neuroticism: Those higher in neuroticism responded well to the programme but showed a clear preference for short, high-intensity bursts over prolonged sustained effort. They also tended to dislike being closely monitored (for example, recording heart rate during sessions), suggesting some benefit from private, autonomous training formats.
- Conscientiousness: Conscientious individuals generally demonstrated better baseline aerobic fitness and core strength and reported more weekly physical activity. Their motivation appeared more outcome-focused—driven by perceived health benefits—rather than by session-by-session enjoyment.
The impact on stress
At baseline, stress ratings were similar across the intervention and control groups. After the eight-week training, the subgroup scoring high on neuroticism showed the most pronounced reduction in perceived stress. Professor Paul Burgess from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience noted: “People higher in neuroticism experienced particularly strong stress reductions from the recommended fitness training, indicating potential targeted mental health benefits for this group.”
Overall, the researchers conclude that helping people discover and adopt forms of exercise they genuinely enjoy is likely the most important step to increasing activity levels and maintaining them over time.
The training programme included:
- Three weekly cycling sessions of varying intensity: a 60-minute easy-paced ride, a 30-minute threshold ride at a sustainable moderate intensity, and a HIIT session featuring alternating high and low exertion intervals.
- One weekly bodyweight strength session focusing on functional strength and core stability.
The five traits assessed by the Big Five model are listed below:
- Extraversion: Energy, sociability, and the tendency to seek stimulation and company.
- Agreeableness: Cooperative, compassionate, and trusting behaviour toward others.
- Conscientiousness: Orderliness, reliability, self-discipline, and goal-oriented planning.
- Neuroticism: Emotional instability and a tendency toward anxiety, mood fluctuations, and negative emotional states.
- Openness: Curiosity, willingness to try new experiences, and imaginative thinking.
About this personality trait and exercise research news
Author: Matt Midgley
Source: UCL
Contact: Matt Midgley – UCL
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Personality traits can predict which exercise intensities we enjoy most, and the magnitude of stress reduction experienced following a training programme” by Flaminia Ronca et al. Frontiers in Psychology
Abstract
Personality traits can predict which exercise intensities we enjoy most, and the magnitude of stress reduction experienced following a training programme
Introduction: This study explored whether personality predicts baseline physical fitness, enjoyment of exercise by intensity, and engagement with a home-based exercise programme in a general population sample.
Methods: Participants were allocated to an eight-week home-based cycling and strength training intervention or a resting control group. Fitness, perceived stress, and the Big Five personality traits were measured before and after the intervention.
Results: Personality traits predicted baseline fitness and preferences for exercise intensity. Conscientiousness was associated with higher overall fitness and more weekly activity. Extraversion correlated with enjoyment of very high-intensity exercise and higher V̇O2peak, while neuroticism related to greater benefit in stress reduction but lower enjoyment of sustained effort. Participants high in neuroticism also tended to prefer less monitoring during exercise.
Discussion: These findings illustrate how personality influences engagement with different forms of physical activity and enjoyment of specific intensities. Incorporating personality into exercise prescriptions could support tailored programmes that improve adherence, physical fitness, and mental well-being.