IF JANUARY is the time for making noble vows about taking up regular exercise, February is when reality hits home. That gym membership you forked out for in a rush of optimism will be a costly investment if you continue to attend just one class a fortnight. Yet, cheeringly, your lack of interest in working out may not be a sign of laziness. A recent study suggests that even with the best will in the world, you will find it hard to stick to a new routine if the type of activity chosen is at odds with your personality.

Reporting in the current issue of the journal The Physician and Sportsmedicine, Professor James Gavin and his colleagues at Concordia University in Montreal claim that before embarking on a fitness programme, you should determine whether it will suit your temperament.

“Anyone who works out, but especially those who are new to exercise, should consider carefully what they are getting into,” says Professor Gavin. “Does it fit in with their personality? Will it challenge their longstanding habits?” In his study of 700 new members of gyms and health clubs, he found that assessing people according to seven aspects of character — competitiveness, sociability, motivation, sense of adventure, spontaneity, aggressiveness and ability to focus — before recommending a type of exercise that matched their disposition, significantly improved the likelihood of their sticking to a fitness programme.

“People have personalities and so do sports and fitness activities,” he says. “Someone will feel better about attempting an exercise type within their comfort zone or which matches their style. The shy, solitary type, for example, who is encouraged to attempt a gregarious aerobics class could be too embarrassed to turn up a second time.”

Slight switches could make all the difference — the sociable person who becomes bored with weight training could be encouraged to try a circuit-training class that would provide similar physical benefits.

Some of the findings seem hardly surprising — that aggressive and risk-taking types are better suited to karate, other people to martial arts and off-road running because these satisfy an inner competitive streak rather than dance and yoga; the self-motivated are best matched to jogging, swimming or weight training on their own. Highly sociable types will do well with spinning, step or aqua aerobics and dance lessons.

Less expected, perhaps, is that those with strong mental focus might be more successful with yoga or t’ai chi rather than the discipline of a gym regime because these require high levels of concentration; and the adventurous personality will satisfy their need for new challenges with wacky new gym classes as well as daring outdoor activities.

In a follow-up study, Gavin found that those who had been assessed and assigned an exercise to match their profile clocked up more hours of participation and had higher satisfaction levels. And their “self- esteem and mood states improved significantly”.

Gavin suggests that doctors and fitness instructors carry out personality questionnaires before prescribing any fitness regimen.

Dr Sophia Jowett, a sport psychology researcher at Loughborough University, says that such so-called “personality” research is already used widely in elite sport. But it is a relatively new area in general fitness, and Jowett describes Gavin’s research as “interesting in that it gives people guidance as to where they might start”. However, she suspects that preferences change as people get fitter or lose more weight.

“Ultimately,” she adds, “ it would be very difficult to identify whether someone sticks with a sport because it suits certain characteristics of their personality or whether the activity shapes their character by providing additional motivational factors such as weight loss.”

Dr Costas Karageorghis, a senior lecturer in sport psychology at Brunel University in London, agrees. “If someone is not very inspired to get fit but tries something that appears to produce results quickly, then they will be motivated to continue,” he says. “Personality-prescriptive workouts might help in the short term, but preferences are liable to change. And people might also get bored. Things might need to be re-evaluated.”

The overriding goal, says Gavin, should be to get people moving in the first place — “to promote activity for the sedentary. Only 20 per cent of adults in the West currently participate in exercise. Personality assessments could help more people to pursue fitness for a lifetime.”

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ACTIVITY

If your type is . . .

Social (typified by “I don’t enjoy doing things by myself”). Try group classes such as spinning, circuit training, aqua aerobics or working out with a personal trainer. Avoid swimming, yoga, t’ai chi.

Spontaneous (“I like doing things on the spur of the moment”). Try kickboxing, karate or salsa classes. Avoid indoor rowing and treadmill-running.

Self-motivated (“I have strong willpower and don’t rely on others for support”). Try jogging or trail-running, circuit sessions at which you can chart your progression, in-line or ice skating and indoor climbing or swimming. Avoid team sports and squash.

Competitive (“I perform better when I compete”). Try any team sports or activities, spinning and other classes in which you can compete against yourself and a mini indoor triathlon class (these are held in many gyms). Avoid power-walking, aerobics, Pilates.

Aggressive (“I am assertive and won’t let things get in my way. I make sure my needs are met”). Try cross-country and competitive running, boxing, martial arts. Avoid dance and yoga.

Focused (“I enjoy getting absorbed in what I am doing”). Try tae kwon do, yoga, Pilates. Take swim-improver lessons because they require learning and concentration. Avoid walking or running and indoor cycling

Risk-seeking (“I am willing to take big risks in order to do things that appeal to me”). Try any new, stimulating workouts — the wackier the better. Every month have a go at something different, such as outdoor circuits around parks. Hire a personal trainer to set new goals — maybe run a marathon — and to help you work towards achieving these. Avoid swimming (unless it’s in open water) and group fitness classes.

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