How Your Personality Affects the Way You Should Exercise
You’ll want to work out every day if you love it
I love to run. I would run every day if I didn’t know the importance of recovery time and cross-training days, especially now that I’m in my 40s. I love to run so much that at times when I have been unable to run due to an injury, I found myself running in my dreams.
Because I have such bliss with my running, I used to think everyone should run. When I saw friends struggling with an exercise program, I always recommended running for them. But I have learned there is not a one size fits all answer for working out.
We all have different personality types and different motivations. Running works for me. But that doesn’t mean it works for everyone.
And just because you may have heard that running burns many calories, doesn’t take much equipment, and is excellent for your health, doesn’t mean it’s the best exercise for you. The best exercise for you is one that you are going to want to keep doing day after day.
So if you are slogging through a daily run or an exercise class, without any enjoyment, but you do it only because you know it’s good for you, you are much more likely to quit. But if you find something you look forward to each day, you’ll be more likely to keep that habit for life.
The key to regular exercise is finding an activity that fits your personality. You’re setting yourself up to fail if you force yourself into something you hate, just because you’ve heard it’s good for you.
Extraverts vs Introverts
The terms extraversion and introversion were made famous by psychoanalyst, Carl Jung in 1921. Nobody is completely one or the other. Think of the traits as being on a scale with introversion at one end and extraversion at the other. We all fall somewhere along that scale. Some fall in the middle, some will be closer to one or the other.
If you tend towards extraversion, you gravitate towards social behavior because it’s rewarding for you to do so. You get your energy from others.
That doesn’t mean introverts don’t like people. People that lean towards the introversion scale may still enjoy socializing with others, but they don’t get their energy from it. They will need some quiet time alone to replenish from the stimulation of socializing.
What does this mean for exercise?
Extraverts will benefit from exercising with others such as fitness classes, running groups, or cycling clubs. They will be happier participating in activities where they can socialize.
- Extraverts should find ways to include others in their exercise routine to avoid boredom. They may enjoy group classes, working out with a buddy, or hiring a personal trainer. While a solo run may seem trying for them, they might find they love running in a group.
- Introverts can still participate in group activities, but they need to be aware of their needs. If they have a job that requires many dealings with others, their workouts may be the one time of day they get their much-needed alone time. Or vice versa, if an introvert spends all day working from home, they may need the stimulation of a group exercise class or cycling group to get their social fix.
Extraverts can try: Group fitness classes, running groups, cycling clubs, team sports, or hiking with friends. If this is you, you may benefit from having one or more workout buddies, rather than heading to the gym alone.
Introverts can try: Solo activities like running, swimming, cycling, and lifting weights. Introverts can still participate in group exercise classes. But they might prefer to hang in the back and get lost in the crowd, rather than head to the front row and chat with friends. When working out at the gym, they can wear headphones to signal they aren’t looking to socialize.
Are you a highly sensitive person?
Another big facet of personality is your level of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). Around 20% of the population has the trait of high sensitivity. These people process the world a little differently than everyone else. They tend to notice outside stimuli at a high level and become overwhelmed when they experience sensory overload (such as crowds and prolonged loud noises.)
If you’re wondering if you are highly sensitive, you can read about it here, and even take an online test. Highly sensitive people are sometimes mislabeled as shy. But it’s not a shyness trait. Instead, these people are so hyper-aware of their environments, they may need to withdraw to get relief.
Highly sensitive people can try: Solo activities like running, swimming, and cycling. They may enjoy mindful group classes, such as yoga or pilates.
Highly sensitive people may want to avoid: Team sports, where they feel they are being judged or scrutinized. Also, fitness classes with booming music and a loud instructor shouting out directions over the music can overload their senses.
What’s your motivation?
Personality plays a big role in what motivates a person. And what motivates you to perform an exercise is going to be tied to your personality. You can use this to your advantage by choosing to exercise in a way that motivates you.
There are two main types of motivation. Extrinsic and intrinsic.
- Extrinsic motivation is performing an activity for a reward or to try to avoid punishment.
- Intrinsic motivation is the motivation for the sake of performing the activity itself. You want to do it for your own personal rewards, not external recognition.
Many people think intrinsic motivation is better and will lead to longer-lasting results. However, extrinsic motivation is an excellent tool for helping you reach your goals.
You may find at the beginning of an exercise program, you need to use extrinsic goals to keep yourself going. But after time, you begin to enjoy the activity on its own merit.
Even so, extrinsic goals, such as signing up for races, or friendly competition can help you get through exercise ruts, even when you are mostly intrinsically motivated.
Extrinsically motivated activities:
- Races. Working on beating your personal best can be highly motivating for running, swimming, cycling, or triathlon events.
- Team sports. The competitive nature of team sports may push you to work harder.
- Using technology. Apps that keep track of your workout and let you compete with yourself (or apps with a social aspect where you can compete with friends).
Intrinsically motivated activities:
- A solo trail run where you can focus on your own thoughts and enjoy your time alone.
- Swimming laps on your own where you enjoy the act of swimming without competing on times with anyone else.
- Strength training and flexibility (like yoga) can put you in a meditative state of mind.
There are no set rules
And here’s the bottom line, we are all different. An introvert may love her crowded and noisy exercise class at the gym. An extrovert may crave a solitary run each morning. You have to know yourself and don’t settle for an activity that you don’t enjoy.
What’s important is to find the activity that keeps you going. Don’t give up trying new things until you find the one you love. There are so many different ways to keep active, it’s just a matter of finding the one for you.
