[LUM#9] Exercising to Stay True to Yourself
Physical activity doesn’t just sculpt your figure—it also shapes your personality. A study conducted by researchers at the Euromov shows that a lack of physical activity is associated with negative changes in certain personality traits.
What factors are associated with changes in our personality over the course of our lives? To better understand how we change, health psychology researcher Yannick Stephan and his colleagues at the University of Florida analyzed data from three U.S. cohorts (“Physical activity and personality development over twenty years: evidence from three longitudinal samples”). The researchers assessed the personalities of nearly 10,000 volunteers who were followed for 20 years. Participants also regularly reported on their lifestyle habits, including their level of physical activity.
“As we analyzed this data, we noticed that people who reported very low levels of physical activity saw their personality traits change over time,” explains Yannick Stephan. “More specifically, inactivity is associated with a decline in conscientiousness.”
According to the Big Five personality model (see box), conscientiousness reflects a tendency to be organized, self-disciplined, and to always think before acting. Those with low levels of conscientiousness tend to be impulsive, lazy, and disorganized.
Conscientiousness
“Conscientiousness is the personality trait most closely linked to health, ” explains the psychologist.“It is estimated that low levels of conscientiousness are associated with a 40% increased risk of all-cause mortality.” This link is naturally explained by behaviors and lifestyle habits:“Being conscientious leads to fewer risky behaviors—smoking, alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet—which reduces the risk of associated diseases and promotes better health.” Through these same mechanisms, this personality trait is also linked to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
In that case, can we consider ways to improve conscientiousness in order to maintain good health?“That is precisely one of the findings of this study: those with very low levels of physical activity—that is, fewer than one or two sessions of physical activity per month—showed a decline in conscientiousness. We can therefore assume that adopting a regular exercise routine would help maintain a high level of conscientiousness and, consequently, better health.”
Correcting "pathogenic" personality traits
It has long been known that physical activity is beneficial to health, but this study shows that this benefit also manifests itself in changes in personality. The researchers also noted that physical inactivity was associated with lower levels of extraversion, openness to experience, and agreeableness. “Sedentary people tend to isolate themselves, which limits social interactions and affects these personality traits,” explains Yannick Stephan.
Exercising to improve both body and mind?“It’s entirely possible to envision intervention programs focused on incorporating physical activities to mitigate personality traits considered ‘pathogenic’ and reinforce those that are protective,” suggests the researcher. This is yet another reason to get everyone moving, even as existing incentive programs struggle to gain traction.“It’s estimated that a quarter of the world’s population is completely inactive, a figure that hasn’t changed since 2001,” notes Yannick Stephan. Get moving a little, and you’ll be more conscientious—and you’ll live better.
The Big Five
Psychology researchers have identified five core traits used to describe and study personality. This model, known as the Big Five, is based on the following traits:
- Emotional instability: a tendency to feel anxious, angry, or depressed. Conversely, a low level of emotional instability refers to people who are generally calm and experience fewer negative emotions.
- Conscientiousness: a tendency to be organized, self-disciplined, and to always think things through before acting. Conversely, a person with low levels of conscientiousness will tend to be impulsive, lazy, and disorganized.
- Extraversion: a tendency to be very sociable and enthusiastic, and to seek out new experiences. Conversely, a low level of extraversion is characteristic of people who are more reserved and less dependent on interaction with others.
- Openness to experience: a tendency to demonstrate intellectual curiosity, imagination, and creativity. Conversely, a person who is not very open to experience tends to have narrow interests and may be resistant to change.
- Agreeableness: a tendency toward empathy and altruism. Conversely, those with low levels of agreeableness show little concern for the well-being of others.
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