Latest news with #extroverts
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Science Says Introverts Like Me Should Hate The Gym. Here's How I Learned To Love It Anyway
I'm pretty obsessive about fitness – I write so much about its longevity-boosting, anti-ageing benefits, after all, that I can't help but buy into the hype. I love running, or at least I'm learning to fall back in love with it. I've started lifting weights and trying fitness trends like 'Japanese walking' and 'Jeffing', partly because they improve vital metrics like my VO2 max, but mostly because of the mood-boosting benefits. But I was not always this barbell-lifting, creatine-guzzling person – and a new study from scientists at the University College London may reveal why. I'm an anxious introvert, and I didn't get into fitness until about 23. So it makes sense that the paper found that, in very simplistic terms, exercise is more appealing to extroverts. In particular, outgoing people seemed to love high-intensity workouts like weightlifting and spin (both of which I only finally managed to try this year). More neurotic, private types like myself were likelier to find the whole thing mortifying, the paper said. I definitely felt that way, too, at the start. Here's how I built activity into my life anyway. I skipped every PE class throughout secondary school because I found the whole process of exercising so chillingly embarrassing. The Frontiers paper found that neurotic people who weren't extroverts preferred 'being given space for independence and privacy when engaging in exercise', too. But, like me, these people saw the most significant stress reduction when they did stick to a programme. I began running in a low mental health dip, but I took it slow (with a Couch to 5k app) and ran away from people, at off-peak park hours. I also began doing home workouts, which were easy to achieve in the comfort of my own home. This is a great option for people who fear judgment. You can also, as the study noted, use your personality traits to your advantage. For instance, those described as being more 'conscientious' (who are not necessarily extroverts) are more likely to stick to a plan when they know its health benefits. As someone who falls into that camp, I've found that this tendency is big enough to outweigh my panic. That's not just because I felt too attached to my new health plan to let crying mid-fitness class and leaving the gym in shame (which has happened twice), stop me forever. I am simply too convinced by the masses of research outlining exercise's benefits to ignore them – my likely neurotic preoccupation with doing 'the right thing' has proven a cheat code to sticking with at-first embarrassing attempts to lift. Your traits may require different motives. Perhaps extroverts will be drawn in by adrenaline-packed spin classes, while less outgoing people might enjoy short bursts of activity and a well-rounded mixture of aerobic and strength training, the paper found. And those who hated being perceived in the gym also didn't respond well to devices tracking things like their heart rate and pace (for what it's worth, I would never have finished my first 5k if I'd started off tracking my pace). Study author Dr Flaminia Ronca said 'we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual – and hopefully help them to become and remain more active'. Due to the endless benefits of staying active, that's the most important result, the authors add. If that means nabbing some resistance bands and doing some strengthening moves in the privacy of your living room, so be it. If you hate long, arduous workouts like lengthy runs, opt for shorter bursts of exercise instead. The key, this paper shows, is mercy, patience, and self-compassion; and having once been terrified of gyms, I can honestly say I'd never have set foot in my new favourite spot without those. I Tried 'Jeffing' And My Running Pace Skyrocketed I Tried Walking Like A Jane Austen Heroine, And My Step Count Has Never Been Higher I'm A Longevity Professor – These 3 Walking Rules Can Help You Live Longer
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Hate exercising? Factoring in your personality type could help.
Having trouble making exercise fun? Try matching your workouts to your personality, according to a new study, which found that such traits are reliable predictors of the type and intensity of exercise people enjoy. The peer-reviewed study, published Tuesday in Frontiers in Psychology, found that extroverts tend to enjoy higher-intensity training, while conscientious people are likelier to engage in longer hours of regular physical activity. And people who scored high for 'neuroticism' on a pre-study questionnaire — which the authors associate with emotional instability — are likely to enjoy private and independent exercise programs.
Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Your personality type could dictate which workout is best
High-intensity workouts suit extroverts, but if you're a worrier, steer clear of the treadmill, research suggests. Experts from University College London (UCL) have found that personality types could help determine the type of exercise people enjoy. They used the Big 5 model, a psychological framework, to find participants' dominant personality traits. These are extroversion, how energetic and outgoing a person is; agreeableness, which reflects compassion and co-operativeness; conscientiousness, which includes attributes like orderliness and reliability; neuroticism, which includes people prone to stress and with a tendency for anxiety or mood swings; and openness, which describes a person's willingness to try new experiences. The study found several links between exercise type and personality traits, including extroverts' enjoyment of high-intensity exercise and the preference of those with the neuroticism trait for short bursts of activity rather than prolonged effort. Those with neuroticism preferred not to be monitored or have their heart rate recorded during the study, which researchers suggest could indicate a preference for space and independence while exercising. The experts measured strength and stress levels before assigning the 132 participants to an eight-week exercise programme of cycling and strength training, or to a resting control group. During the programme, participants were asked to rate their enjoyment of each exercise, before having their fitness level tested again once the session had been completed. Those who were conscientious tended to score more highly on aerobic fitness as well as core strength, and were generally more physically active, but they didn't seem to enjoy one particular type of exercise over another. The researchers said it was likely because they were driven by the health outcomes, rather than enjoyment, and exercising 'may be less about enjoyment than because it was good for them'. A sedentary population Dr Flaminia Ronca, of UCL's surgery and interventional science and the 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.' 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.' Those who were considered to be neurotic were the only group to see a significant reduction in stress levels after exercising. Prof 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
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Best Side Gigs Based on Your Personality Type
The gig economy has exploded in recent years, with more and more people earning extra money through side hustles. If you're looking to earn some extra cash, there are plenty of side jobs to pick from. However, the best fit often depends on your personality type, as some jobs align better with certain traits than others. Trending Now: Try This: What side gig best matches your characteristics? We've put together a list of the best side gigs based on personality type so you can find out. Since extroverts typically are outgoing, energetic and social, they tend to excel at roles that involve direct interaction with other people. A great side gig opportunity for an extrovert is an event planner, as it requires direct contact with clients, learning their vision for the event and making it become a reality. Event planners often run their own businesses, too, making networking and marketing essential for attracting new clients, skills that extroverts have a knack for. Explore Next: Where extroverts are social and expressive, introverts prefer to work alone and are more reserved. The best side gig opportunity for introverts is ghostwriting. A ghostwriter writes content — think books, blogs, speeches — for someone else to claim as their own work. Writing is inherently solitary work and ghostwriting requires minimal client interaction. You just need the client to provide the topic and general content of the work and you do the rest as the writer. If you're creative, chances are you are artistic in some capacity. Opening a shop on Etsy or other similar online marketplace shop is the best side gig to sell the things you create and earn some extra money. You can sell all kinds of art on Etsy, including jewelry, clothing and handmade items. Etsy even makes it easy to get started and helps facilitate the business part of the shop by processing payments and tracking orders. If you thrive at making phone calls while simultaneously responding to emails and booking appointments, becoming a personal assistant is the best side gig for you. As a personal assistant, clients will hire you to accomplish the administrative tasks they don't have the time to do. You may have to juggle more than one task at once, making it a great side gig for multitaskers. You don't need to work directly for a company to be a personal assistant. You can list your personal assistant services on most online freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and earn extra money as soon as you book your first client. More From GOBankingRates 6 Used Luxury SUVs That Are a Good Investment for Retirees How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region 7 Overpriced Grocery Items Frugal People Should Quit Buying in 2025 12 SUVs With the Most Reliable Engines This article originally appeared on The Best Side Gigs Based on Your Personality Type
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Introverts And Extroverts Can Both Win At Personal Branding
Your social feed is full of entrepreneurs sharing morning routines, business wins, and life philosophies. They make it look effortless. Behind the scenes, they're working strategically to increase their visibility, knowing that attention equals opportunity. Why wouldn't you get involved? Everyone tells you to build a personal brand. And they are probably right. I've seen firsthand that showing up consistently online can attract inbound interest from your dream customers. No chasing, no spending on ads, just building an online presence and attracting people in. Now I help coaches use AI to scale their coaching businesses, with an AI version of them that builds their personal brand. The most interesting discovery is that both introverts and extroverts can excel at personal branding. They just take different paths to the same destination. Building a personal brand makes you known for your work and expertise. But anyone telling you that you need thousands of followers to succeed is selling an outdated formula. The real goal is becoming the go-to person in your specific field, recognized by the right people. Here's why (and how) extroverts and introverts can both play the game. Extroverts gain energy from social interaction and find themselves naturally drawn to creating content and connecting with audiences. This personality type loves the immediate feedback loop that comes with putting themselves out there. A strong personal brand creates a constant stream of new connections and people to engage with. An extrovert's dream. When you're known for your work, people seek you out. Opportunities land in your inbox. Speaking invitations, podcast requests, and collaboration offers flow in without you chasing. The more visible you become, the more people want to talk with you and learn from you. Extroverts who build a LinkedIn following, for example, get energized by their expanding network. It makes sense. Your content becomes a magnet, drawing like-minded people to you. This creates a virtuous cycle where each new connection leads to more visibility and more opportunities. The extrovert's natural desire for stimulation and interaction gets fulfilled while their career advances. Alignment ensues. Everyone wins. Introverts often struggle with traditional networking and cold outreach. They avoid events and don't want to say hi first. If this sounds like you, building a personal brand is your perfect solution. By creating content and sharing what you know online, people who share your interests and need your skills will find you. The work speaks for you while you recharge away from crowds. A strong online presence means clients and opportunities come your way unprompted. No more awkward networking events or forced small talk. The introvert's dream scenario unfolds when a potential client reaches out saying they've been following your work for months and know you're exactly who they need. The relationship starts with them already understanding and valuing what you offer. No conversation required. Introverts can build meaningful connections on their terms when they take charge of building their brand. They can share ideas, meet people and engage when they have the energy for it. But their content works 24/7, creating opportunities while they focus on deep work or solo time. Get the solitude you need while building your business beyond recognition. There is no excuse not to put yourself out there. Introvert, extrovert, ambivert. It just makes sense. Become known for solving specific problems or having particular expertise. Gain the power to choose your projects, set your prices, and work with people who energize you. Before you start, determine the boundaries of your public persona. Some share personal details and align work with life. Others keep a clear separation, focusing solely on their professional insights. Either approach works when you're intentional about what you reveal and what you keep private. The size of your audience matters less than its relevance. A focused following of 500 people in your industry can bring more valuable opportunities than 50,000 random followers. Quality beats quantity when building a personal brand with purpose. Fame creates freedom when you leverage it right. Both personality types benefit from sustainable content systems. Build a repeatable process that fits your natural strengths. Extroverts might love making video or audio content, while introverts often excel with written formats they can perfect before publishing. Go with your energy to make content creation effortless. Find your cadence. Some people maintain daily posting schedules across multiple platforms. Others publish one thoughtful piece weekly. Whatever rhythm you choose, maintaining it consistently builds trust with your audience and strengthens your position as a reliable voice in your field. They become familiar with your unmistakable style. Start with one platform where your ideal connections already spend time. Master that profile before expanding to others. Avoid the overwhelm that kills most personal branding attempts before they gain momentum. Building a personal brand works for every personality type when you align it with your natural tendencies. Extroverts can leverage their energy for connection to create solid communities around their work. Introverts can build systems that attract opportunities while respecting their need for space and deep focus. Whether you thrive on connection opportunities, leverage the power of systems, create freedom on your terms, or produce consistent results, understanding yourself and taking action builds your personal brand and creates recognition for your work. Access my best prompts for personal branding to show up and stand out online.
