Overview

• A UCL-led eight-week trial published in Frontiers in Psychology tracked 132 participants through cycling and strength training and found that aligning workouts with dominant Big 5 traits enhances enjoyment, consistency and fitness gains.
• Extroverts gravitate toward high-intensity, group-based activities like HIIT, spin classes and team sports, feeding off social energy to stay motivated.
• Introverts favor solitary, low-intensity exercises such as yoga, swimming laps, hiking or weight lifting with headphones to maintain focus and autonomy.
• Individuals high in neuroticism showed the largest stress reductions and preferred private workouts with short bursts of intensity and built-in rest periods.
• Fitness program developers are exploring how to scale personality-assessment findings into services that boost long-term engagement and targeted stress relief.