A recent article from the International Council on Active Ageing (ICAA) caught our attention, and it’s worth a closer look.

According to new research out of University College London, your personality traits may influence not only what kind of physical activity you enjoy but also how much stress relief you get from it.

📊 In the study, participants followed different exercise programs over eight weeks, with some focused on home-based cycling and strength training, while others continued their normal routine with light stretching.

However, here’s where it gets interesting: enjoyment levels and stress reduction outcomes were directly influenced by personality types.

For example:

🗣️ Extraverts loved high-intensity sessions, especially with others around.

🧘 Those high in neuroticism preferred private workouts, appreciated rest breaks, and showed the biggest drop in stress by the end.

📚 Conscientious and curious types stayed consistent regardless of how much they enjoyed the session.

The takeaway? Matching your movement to your mindset might be the secret to actually sticking with it and reaping the mental health benefits.

As lead researcher Dr. Paul Burgess put it: “After all, we don’t have to nag dogs to go for a walk… but for some reason, many of us humans seem poor at picking up on the messages our bodies are sending.”

📘 Read the full research via Frontiers in Psychology, thanks to the ICAA: https://www.icaa.cc/industrynews/2025-07/GOOD-FIT-Personality-may-predict-preferred-physical-activities.htm

[Image Anna Shvets – Pexels]