It is well-known that maintaining an active lifestyle has its benefits. The practice of regular physical activity not only promotes physical health but also has a positive impact on our mental state. Several studies have shown that exercise promotes self-confidence and self-esteem, improves mood and energy levels, may fight anxiety and depression, and improves cognitive function, among others. With all those benefits in mind, one could believe that exercise should be a priority in everyone’s life. Unfortunately, that is far from true.
We live in times when 40% of the adult population is completely sedentary. Moreover, exercise adherence is usually poor (dropout rates are as high as 50% during the first six months). The question is “If exercise promotes so many improvements, why do people abandon an exercise program?” There are many answers to this question: boredom, not achieving results fast enough, lack of motivation, etc. In my opinion, most people don’t know how to choose an activity that matches their personality. They just join a gym and do whatever everyone else is doing. Let’s face it. If you don’t like the activity you chose, you’ll be very likely to find an excuse to avoid it.
Finding an activity that respects your personal style can improve exercise adherence, especially if you are new to exercise. That’s because when you are unaccustomed to exercising regularly, you’ll be more likely to enjoy the process if you stay within your comfort zone. In addition, you’ll probably need external motivators such as specific fitness goals (for example, weight-loss or muscle gain), social support, and/or rewards to keep you on track. There is nothing wrong with that. The goal is to find you an activity that creates a flow. According to the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow is a holistic sensation of being totally involved and functioning effortlessly. You know when you are so immersed in an activity that you don’t feel the time pass? That’s what they call being “in the zone.”
Now, you must be asking “how can I find an activity that will put me “in the zone?” Your first step is to assess your personal style in order to identify your unique characteristics and qualities. Then, you can compare your style to the activities profile to find a perfect match.
Assessing Your Personal Style
James Gavin, a lifestyle fitness coach and author, identified seven personal style dimensions that are relevant for people involved in sports and exercise. Following is a summary of these dimensions. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong. Your profile represents your preferences and habits.
- Sociability – Do you prefer activities that require interaction with other participants (social), or do you prefer to exercise alone (nonsocial)?
- Spontaneity – Do you prefer a logical and structured program (controlled), or do you prefer an activity that is more spontaneous and unpredictable (spontaneous)?
- Motivation – Are you self-motivated, persistent, and likely to endure discomfort (internally motivated), or do you need external motivators such as rewards to keep you going (externally motivated)?
- Assertiveness – Do you enjoy activities that require effort to overcome an obstacle (aggressive), or do you prefer activities that don’t require much skill or effort (nonaggressive)?
- Competitiveness – Do you like competing against others (competitive), or do you prefer activities that promote collaboration (noncompetitive)?
- Mental focus – Are you able to focus on the task at hand (focused), or are you easily distracted (unfocused)?
- Adventurousness – Do you like challenging situations (adventurous), or do you prefer practicing activities with which you are already comfortable (cautious)?
Samples of Activities Profiles
Team sports such as volleyball and basketball tend to be very social (interaction with other players), spontaneous (each game is different), externally motivated (win the game), aggressive (confront the opponent), competitive, focused, and adventurous (challenge to win).
Group exercise such as aqua-aerobics and step class tend to be somewhat social (some interaction), spontaneous (classes can have different routines), externally motivated (music, friendly environment), aggressive (involve skills), competitive (comparing yourself to other participants), focused, and adventurous (challenge through new moves).
Cardio training using a piece of equipment such as a treadmill or an elliptical tend to be nonsocial (you are by yourself), controlled (no surprises), internally motivated (do your best to keep going), non-focused (you can watch TV while doing it), and cautious (safe). Depending on your personal style, it could be aggressive (achieve a best time) or nonaggressive (light effort), and competitive (compare yourself to others) or noncompetitive.
Walking tends to be nonaggressive (light intensity), noncompetitive, non-focused (you may listen to music or chat with a friend), and cautious (safe). However, it can be social (if you join a walking group or have a walking buddy) or nonsocial (if you choose to walk alone), spontaneous (new trail or park) or controlled (circuit around your neighborhood), and either internally (enjoy the activity) or externally motivated (to lose weight).
Yoga practice in a group setting tends to be nonsocial (not much interaction), nonaggressive (perform at your own level), noncompetitive (listen to your body needs), and cautious (safe). It is also somewhat controlled (follow a structured routine), internally motivated (enjoy the activity), and focused (body awareness).
References
Gavin, J. Lifestyle Fitness Coaching. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 2005.
Peterson, C. A Primer in Positive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. 2006.
“Prevalence of Sedentary Leisure-time Behavior among Adults in the United States.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/sedentary/sedentary.htm. Accessed in April 2012.