WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS IMPACT YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL?

 

YOUR PERSONALITY IMPACTS YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL

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A study conducted at the Gerontology Research Centre and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä observed associations of personality traits with physical activity and sedentary behavior. Individuals characterized by high conscientiousness and extraversion are likelier to accumulate more extended periods of physical activity and sedentary behavior. In contrast, individuals with higher neuroticism scores tend to interrupt their sedentary behavior more often.

Your personality might influence how you move throughout the day, not how you think. A fascinating study from Finland's University of Jyväskylä has uncovered some surprising connections between who we are and how we move.

Think of the friend who can't sit still and is constantly fidgeting or who goes for long, scheduled runs. These behaviors might be tied to personality traits.

The researchers tracked the same people aged 33, 42, 50, and 61, examining five main personality types: resilient, brittle, overcontrolled, undercontrolled, and ordinary. Each type represents a different combination of traits, such as extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness.

Here's where it gets interesting: The "resilient" people—those who tend to be outgoing and organized—were likelier to stick with activities for extended periods, whether exercising or sitting still. Meanwhile, the "brittle" types—those who tend to be more anxious or neurotic—kept breaking up their sitting time with movement.

"People with resilient personalities probably stick to regular workout schedules," explains Johanna Ahola, who led the research. "But those with brittle personalities might just feel uncomfortable sitting for too long, so they naturally move around more."

This finding challenges our thoughts about neurotic personalities and sedentary behavior. While previous research suggested that neurotic people might be more sedentary, this study found that they break up their sitting time more often, which is good for their health.

The researchers also looked at the activity-to-sitting ratio, which previous studies have shown can predict mortality risk in people over 50. The magic number? When moderate-to-vigorous activity makes up more than one-tenth of your sitting time, your mortality risk drops significantly. While the personality differences weren't statistically significant here, the resilient and ordinary types tended to have better ratios.

This research is part of a remarkable 50-year study at the University of Jyväskylä, initially led by Professor Lea Pulkkinen and now by Research Director Katja Kokko. It's been supported by Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, the Research Council of Finland, and the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

So next time you notice yourself getting up for another coffee break or sticking religiously to your workout schedule, remember - it might just be your personality at work.

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