A new study published yesterday (8th July), led by dedicated UCL and ISEH researchers, Dr Flaminia Ronca, Dr Benjamin Tari, Cian Xu, and Prof. Paul Burgess, explores whether personality traits can predict physical fitness, enjoyment of exercise at varying intensities, and adherence to exercise programmes in the general population.
Participants were randomly assigned to either 8-week home-based cycling and strength training intervention or a resting control group which involved 132 adults from the general population were recruited, with 86 completing the intervention study after exclusions and dropouts.
Let’s discuss this:
- Personality traits were measured the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10) (e.g., Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness).
- Baseline and post-intervention fitness (V̇O₂peak) and self reported stress (via the Perceived Stress Scale PSS-10) were assessed in a lab setting
- Participants rated how much they enjoyed each exercise session on a 7-point scale, particularly during week 1 of the training programme, and at lab visits
Some key findings:
- Conscientiousness predicted higher general fitness and weekly physical activity levels; extraversion was linked to higher V̇O₂peak; neuroticism was associated with poorer heart rate recovery.
- Extraverts particularly enjoyed high-intensity activities.
- Individuals who scored high in neuroticism were fine with high intensities, but only if they had time to recover (for example during intervals), and they preferred exercising when not being monitored.
- Most importantly, participants high in neuroticism showed the greatest reduction in perceived stress after the exercise intervention. This demonstrates that those who need it the most, are more likely to benefit from the stress-reducing effects of exercise.
Personality traits, particularly conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism—play a significant role in predicting physical activity engagement, enjoyment, and fitness outcomes, supporting the use of personality-tailored exercise interventions.
We thank CNN and other media outlets for covering this.
Study published in Frontiers in Psychology
