Can even only moderate levels of exercise improve your personality? Yup.
Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Regular exercise doesn't just boost your health; it can also transform your personality for the better.
Research shows that modest amounts of exercise can make people more extraverted and agreeable.
So, if your partner's a bit grumpy, maybe a jog around the block could help! Let's dive into how these habits are initiated and the benefits they bring.
The Personality Perks of Exercise
Exercise doesn’t just tone your muscles; it tunes up your personality too. Here are some ways exercise can positively affect you:
More Extraverted: People who exercise regularly tend to have more positive emotions. Who wouldn't want to swap grumpiness for glee?
Greater Agreeableness: Exercise can make you more pleasant to be around. Your friends and family will thank you.
Increased Conscientiousness: Staying active helps you become more self-disciplined and organized, leading to more success in life.
Openness to Experience: Regular exercisers are often more open to new ideas, boosting intelligence and creativity.
On the flip side, a sedentary lifestyle can lead to less agreeable, more closed-off, and less conscientious behavior. It's like the personality version of turning into a couch potato.
The Long-Term Study on Exercise and Personality
In a study that spanned over twenty years and involved more than six thousand people, researchers found that even small amounts of exercise were linked to positive personality changes. Participants who exercised regularly reported higher levels of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.
The study’s authors noted:
“A physically inactive lifestyle has a range of long-term biological, health, and cognitive outcomes, such as a higher risk of frailty, worse mental and physical health, and declines in memory and executive functions.
Such outcomes, in turn, may have a long-term impact on personality, such as reductions in the tendency to be self-disciplined and organized or to be exploratory and curious. Indeed, cognitive decline, greater frailty, and more depressive symptoms and disease burden have been associated with reduced conscientiousness and openness over time.”
The Secret to Regular Exercise: Habits and Cues
Now, how do you make exercise a regular part of your life? It’s all about habits and cues. Studies have found that focusing on how habits are initiated is key to getting regular exercise. Here are some tips:
Set Regular Cues: Make sure there are consistent prompts that remind you to exercise. This could be a specific time of day, a visual cue, or even a reminder from your partner.
Focus on the Start, Not the Type: It’s not about the type of exercise you do but about getting started. Whether it’s a walk, a run, or a dance around the living room, the key is to begin.
Creating a habit of exercise can be simple if you focus on these initiation cues. And remember, it’s the small, regular efforts that lead to the biggest personality payoffs.
So, next time you’re feeling a bit down or unmotivated, lace up those sneakers and get moving. Not only will your body thank you, but your personality might just get a nice little tune-up too.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
RESEARCH:
Stephan, Y., Sutin, A. R., Luchetti, M., Bosselut, G., & Terracciano, A. (2018). Physical activity and personality development over twenty years: Evidence from three longitudinal samples. Journal of Research in Personality, 73, 173-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2018.02.005
