Latest news with #DrFlaminiaRonca
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How your personality type dictates your exercise routine
A new study suggests an individual's personality type could influence their preferred type of exercise. Researchers believe this link could help those struggling to make lasting changes find something they enjoy. The study involved experts from University College London (UCL) giving 132 volunteers either an eight-week cycling and strength training plan or telling them to rest. Prior to the research, strength levels were evaluated using exercises like press-ups and cycling tests, with stress levels measured on a one to 10 scale. Researchers used the Big 5 personality test to assess dominant personality traits using five distinct groups. These are extroversion, or how energetic and outgoing a person is, agreeableness, which includes attributes related to trust and compassion, conscientiousness, which reflects traits like orderliness and and reliability. The other two traits are neuroticism, which measures emotional stability and the tendency for anxiety or mood swings, and openness, which describes a person's willingness to try new experiences. Dr Flaminia Ronca, of UCL's Surgery and Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH), said the team found 'some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual – and hopefully help them to become and remain more active.' Of the group, some 86 people completed the programme. Researchers found extroverts tended to enjoy high-intensity workouts, such as high intensity interval training (HIIT). Elsewhere, those with strong neuroticism traits preferred bursts of activity over prolonged intensity. They also preferred not being monitored or recording their heart rate during the study, which researchers suggest could indicate they prefer being given space and independence while exercising. 'We know that the global population is becoming increasingly sedentary,' Dr Ronca said. 'You often hear about people trying to become more active, but struggling to make lasting changes. 'In this study, we wanted to understand how personality can influence this to support the development of effective interventions for changes in health behaviour.' Professor Paul Burgess, from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, said, 'people who scored more highly in the neuroticism personality trait showed a particularly strong reduction in stress when they undertook the fitness training recommended in the study. 'This suggests that there may be particular benefits in stress reduction for those with this trait.'
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Experts reveal the exact science-backed workout you should do to lose weight
Finding it difficult to keep up with your summer workout goals? Your personality may be to blame. Based on an eight-week experiment, researchers from the University College London have discovered that matching your exercise routine to your personality could make it more enjoyable and give you better results. The scientists measured strength levels, as well as the prominence of different personality traits during the study. They found that extroverts preferred high-intensity workouts, while people who tend to worry favored short bursts of activity and saw greater stress reduction from exercise. The scientists also pointed out that the most important part about exercising was doing something that brought joy to you. Study author Dr Flaminia Ronca from UCL Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health said: 'We found some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual – and hopefully help them to become and remain more active. 'Our brains are wired in different ways, which drives our behaviors and how we interact with our environment. 'So it's not surprising that personality would also influence how we respond to different intensities of exercise.' The American Heart Association recommends adults engage in moderate-intensity aerobic activity for about 150 minutes per week, including 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week. For this study, the team divided 86 volunteers with a range of fitness levels and backgrounds into two groups. The first group, consisting of 25 people, was provided with an eight-week home-based fitness plan made up of cycling and strength training. The other group of 51 people continued their usual lifestyle and were only asked to stretch twice a week. During the exercise program, all participants were also asked to rate their enjoyment of each exercise session. Variations in their strength before and after the experiment was also measured through push ups, the ability to hold a plank and jumping. This was followed by a low intensity cycling session for 30 minutes and then a cycling test to measure their oxygen capacity. Additionally, scientists also studied participants' personality traits, including sociability, diligence, agreeableness, openness and negative emotions such as fear of failure, anxiety and self doubt in each participant by asking them to answer a questionnaire. The team also assessed their perceived stress levels on a scale of one to 10. Results showed that those who scored high on diligence and openness were found to engage in exercise regardless of whether they enjoyed it or were driven by curiosity to try a new workout respectively. Participants who were found to be very diligent also tended to have a well-rounded fitness level - meaning they scored higher on aerobic fitness as well as core strength - and were generally more physically active. While those who showed more anxiety and self doubt preferred private workouts and needed short breaks in between their sessions. Notably, the study also showed that the stress levels in people who experienced negative emotions significantly decreased after they began working out on their own or in private sessions. Dr Ronca said: 'It's fantastic news, as it highlights that those who benefit the most from a reduction in stress respond very well to exercise.' Senior author Professor Paul Burgess from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience explained: 'We found that people who scored more highly in the neuroticism personality trait showed a particularly strong reduction in stress when they undertook the fitness training recommended in the study. 'This suggests that there may be particular benefits in stress reduction for those with this trait.' Previous research shows that people with anxiety and stress may find private exercise particularly more enjoyable than working out in a group as it makes them feel less conscious and removes worry about being judged or compared to others. Those who showed more anxiety and self doubt preferred private workouts and needed short breaks in between their sessions This allows them to feel more in control and they are able to focus more on their personal needs and preferences - which in turn, leads to their stress levels to decrease. Additionally, people who were very social and outgoing enjoyed high intensity sessions with others around such as high intensity interval training (HIIT), team sports and intense cycling The researchers noted that all 86 participants ended the study noticeably stronger and fitter by the time after the eight weeks. Professor Burgess added: 'We hope that if people can find physical activities that they enjoy they will more readily choose to do them. 'After all, we don't have to nag dogs to go for a walk: being so physically inactive that we start to feel miserable might be a peculiarly human thing to do. In effect, our body punishes us by making us miserable. 'But for some reason, many of us humans seem poor at picking up on these messages it is sending to our brain.' The study was published in Frontiers in Psychology on July 7.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Matching your workouts to your personality could give you better results
Matching your workouts to your personality could give you better results, according to researchers. For example, people who tend to be more introverted and negative may need frequent breaks and a private workout, while those who are more extroverted can reap the benefits of team sports and high-intensity classes, such as Barry's Bootcamp or SoulCycle. People who are more open have been found to engage in exercise regardless of whether or not they enjoyed it. 'Our brains are wired in different ways, which drives our behaviors and how we interact with our environment,' Dr. Flaminia Ronca, of University College London's Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, explained in a statement. 'So it's not surprising that personality would also influence how we respond to different intensities of exercise.' In the U.S., that may spur rising obesity rates. One in five children and two in five adults are affected by the chronic condition, leaving them at higher risk of many diseases. In 2020, just over 24 percent of U.S. adults met the 2018 national physical activity guidelines. A new analysis from children's health centers in Philadelphia and Los Angeles found that the health of American kids deteriorated across a broad spectrum of indicators between 2007 and 2023. To reach these conclusions, Ronca and her co-authors studied the behaviors of 86 participants in the U.K. They tested their baseline fitness in a lab before splitting them into two groups. One group was instructed to undertake an eight-week home fitness plan of cycling and strength training, and another continued their usual lifestyle. All participants filled out a questionnaire regarding how much they had enjoyed their participation in the study. The researchers particularly examined five personality traits - extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness. 'Understanding personality factors in designing and recommending physical activity programs is likely to be very important in determining how successful a program is, and whether people will stick with it and become fitter,' senior author Prof Paul Burgess, from the university's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, said in a statement. They noted that the relationship between stress levels and change in fitness, finding that stress levels of both groups were similar before the study. After undergoing the home fitness plan, people who tended to be more neurotic exhibited a strong reduction in their stress levels. A survey from researchers in Ohio earlier this year found that 45 percent of U.S. adults are stressed at least once a week due to the news and social media, and that 16 percent of those respondents reported feeling stressed every day. Furthermore, workplace stress has been reported to cause 120,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 'It's fantastic news, as it highlights that those who benefit the most from a reduction in stress respond very well to exercise,' Ronca said. Previous research from the University of Missouri has shown a correlation between personality and physical function. 'We hope that if people can find physical activities that they enjoy they will more readily choose to do them,' Burgess added.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Your personality type determines which exercise you will stick to
Personality type could influence the kind of exercise a person prefers, according to a study. The link could potentially help those who try to be more active but struggle to make long-term changes to find something they enjoy, researchers said. For the study, experts from University College London (UCL) gave 132 volunteers either an eight-week cycling and strength training plan or told them to rest. Strength levels were evaluated before the start of the research using exercises like press ups and a cycling tests, while stress levels were measured on a scale of one to 10. Researchers used the Big 5 personality test to assess dominant personality traits using five distinct groups. These are extroversion, or how energetic and outgoing a person is, agreeableness, which includes attributes related to trust and compassion, conscientiousness, which reflects traits like orderliness and and reliability. READ MORE: UK households told to follow Met Office's 'rule' at 11am this week READ MORE: Met Office gives exact day hot weather will end with rain and big temperature drop The other two traits are neuroticism, which measures emotional stability and the tendency for anxiety or mood swings, and openness, which describes a person's willingness to try new experiences. Dr Flaminia Ronca, of UCL's surgery and interventional science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH), said: 'We found some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual – and hopefully help them to become and remain more active.' Of the group, some 86 people completed the programme. Researchers found extroverts tended to enjoy high intensity workouts, such as high intensity interval training (HIIT). Elsewhere, those with strong neuroticism traits preferred bursts of activity over prolonged intensity. They also preferred not being monitored or recording their heart rate during the study, which researchers suggest could indicated they prefer being given space and independence while exercising. Dr Ronca added: 'We know that the global population is becoming increasingly sedentary. You often hear about people trying to become more active, but struggling to make lasting changes. 'In this study, we wanted to understand how personality can influence this to support the development of effective interventions for changes in health behaviour.' Professor Paul Burgess, from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, said: 'We found that people who scored more highly in the neuroticism personality trait showed a particularly strong reduction in stress when they undertook the fitness training recommended in the study. 'This suggests that there may be particular benefits in stress reduction for those with this trait.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Personality type could influence what workouts people prefer
Personality type could influence the kind of exercise a person prefers, according to a study. The link could potentially help those who try to be more active but struggle to make long-term changes to find something they enjoy, researchers said. For the study, experts from University College London (UCL) gave 132 volunteers either an eight-week cycling and strength training plan or told them to rest. Strength levels were evaluated before the start of the research using exercises like press ups and a cycling tests, while stress levels were measured on a scale of one to 10. Researchers used the Big 5 personality test to assess dominant personality traits using five distinct groups. These are extroversion, or how energetic and outgoing a person is, agreeableness, which includes attributes related to trust and compassion, conscientiousness, which reflects traits like orderliness and and reliability. The other two traits are neuroticism, which measures emotional stability and the tendency for anxiety or mood swings, and openness, which describes a person's willingness to try new experiences. Dr Flaminia Ronca, of UCL's surgery and interventional science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH), said: 'We found some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual – and hopefully help them to become and remain more active.' Of the group, some 86 people completed the programme. Researchers found extroverts tended to enjoy high intensity workouts, such as high intensity interval training (HIIT). Elsewhere, those with strong neuroticism traits preferred bursts of activity over prolonged intensity. They also preferred not being monitored or recording their heart rate during the study, which researchers suggest could indicated they prefer being given space and independence while exercising. Dr Ronca added: 'We know that the global population is becoming increasingly sedentary. 'You often hear about people trying to become more active, but struggling to make lasting changes. 'In this study, we wanted to understand how personality can influence this to support the development of effective interventions for changes in health behaviour.' Professor Paul Burgess, from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, said: 'We found that people who scored more highly in the neuroticism personality trait showed a particularly strong reduction in stress when they undertook the fitness training recommended in the study. 'This suggests that there may be particular benefits in stress reduction for those with this trait.'
