We’ve all been there: the workday’s over, you’re ready to head home, and then you remember – you still need to hit the gym for that strength session. Groan! 

We all know that staying fit and keeping up with every training session can feel like a grind sometimes, but fret not, les Femmes. 

A new study may have uncovered the key to staying motivated and inspired to train. 

The key is your personality

Matching your exercise routine to your personality may not only make workouts more enjoyable – but also more effective, according to new research published in Frontiers in Psychology. 

The study, led by Dr Flaminia Ronca from University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, examined how traits such as extraversion, neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness affect not just the types of exercise people prefer, but how they engage with them – and what kind of stress relief they get in return. 

“We found that our personality can influence how we engage with exercise, and particularly which forms of exercise we enjoy the most,” says first author Dr Ronca. 

The study

Her team recruited participants to undergo baseline lab fitness testing, before dividing them into two groups – one of which completed an 8-week cycling and strength program. The other continued with their usual routines. Both groups completed regular questionnaires on training enjoyment and stress levels. 

The results suggest that people high in extraversion gravitate toward more social workouts – team sports and group sessions – while those high in neuroticism prefer private workouts, even if they still tolerate high intensity. 

Those high in openness or conscientiousness were likely to stick with exercise, driven by curiosity or commitment, regardless of enjoyment. 

Notably, those who scored high in neuroticism saw the greatest stress relief.  

“It’s fantastic news,” says Dr Ronca, “as it highlights that those who benefit the most from a reduction in stress respond very well to exercise.”

It’s about finding something you enjoy

So, basically, the key to training success is finding exercise that we enjoy!

“We hope that if people can find physical activities that they enjoy, they will more readily choose to do them,” says Professor Paul Burgess, senior author from UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. 

And if we don’t enjoy one session? 

Don’t stress – according to Dr Ronca, the key isn’t perfection, it’s consistency. 

As long as you don’t give up completely, it’s just about showing up for the next session.