What Is Your Fitness Personality?

Our guide to choosing the exercise routine that best fits your lifestyle
by Tiffany Owens for MSN Health & Fitness

Tired of the one-size-fits-all workout? Many of us have been stuck in a fitness rut—doing the same workouts (or avoiding them) for years. If you view your exercise routine with as much delight as you would, say, cleaning your gutters, then it’s high time for another approach.

Sure, everyone knows that personal preferences color most of our decisions in life. But are you aware that your personality is one of the greatest factors in determining how—or if—you choose to stay fit and motivated? For the most part, just telling yourself that, "e;If I do this, I'll be stronger, live longer or be the sexiest person on the block"e; isn't really sustainable in the long run.

So where do you start?  If you want to maintain a physical exercise program indefinitely, you first need to make a higher connection with your mind and the overall workout experience. What stimulates you innately to want to stay fit? Once you’ve reassessed what really motivates you, then you can evaluate your fitness preferences with a fresh perspective.

The real issue with exercise today isn't that people don't understand the value of physical activity or don't have enough willpower, says exercise motivation expert Jay Kimiecik ofin. Instead, they simply haven’t learned how to enjoy it. In his bookThe Intrinsic Exerciser: Discovering the Joy of Exercise, Kimiecik says by first getting your "e;head"e; in the right place, ensures that you'll end up working out because you want to, not because you have to. In order to best prepare your brain for an enhanced body, Kimiecik suggests that you:

Conjure an inner "e;exercising"e; vision of yourself. Think about which kinds of exercise best fit your lifestyle and self-image. Experiment with different activities until you find the ones that best meet your intrinsic needs for such motivators as feeling strong, feeling balanced, or learning new things.

• Stay in the "e;now."e; Successful athletes often talk about being in a state of "e;flow,"e; in which they're so absorbed in what they're doing that they seem to accomplish it without thinking. You can practice this by becoming aware of what you're doing—both mentally and physically—throughout your workout. Instead of "e;tuning out"e; to music or other distractions, try to enjoy the sensation of every movement.
• Rethink your goals. Instead of focusing on how much muscle you're building or how many calories you’re burning, develop inner goals such as learning to understand your body. In every workout, try to improve on what you did in the previous one and push yourself to learn new skills. Reaching these goals will help you build confidence in yourself as well as improve your body.
• Let exercise help satisfy other desires. For a moment, put aside all the physical reasons that you should exercise and focus instead on the mental benefits. For example, consider how working out can help meet intrinsic needs for social interaction, discipline, relaxation or self-discovery, or just give you a much-needed break from the rat race. Going beyond the mere physical to understand your personality tendencies, primary needs and inner impulses can make exercise a much more powerful experience that will ultimately keep you coming back for more.

Once you’ve aligned your brain with your body, what you'll learn from discovering your exercise personality could mean the difference between a successful, lifelong wellness program and becoming a fitness flop. To help you take your next—or first—step in a new direction, we've come up with the following guide to determine which of these five fitness personalities is yours.

Select the set of attributes below that you feel most closely describes your inner feelings about fitness, thenclick through to find your matching fitness personality synopsisand new activities to try. The results may surprise you!

Fitness Personality No. 1:  Action Adventure

• Bored by routine workouts
• Spends as much time as possible outdoors
• Prefers the trail to the treadmill
• Usually competitive when it comes to sports
• Exercises for the adventure and/or social experience

Fitness Personality No. 2: Lean and Serene

• Enjoys a complete mind-body exercise package
• Focuses on staying limber and flexible
• Prefers to be instructed in a group setting
• More interested in established exercise methods versus new fitness fads
• Exercises to restore life balance or achieve peacefulness

Fitness Personality No. 3:  Weighty Matters

• Enjoys strength or resistance exercises that use repetitions
• Wants to exercise all major muscle groups
• Prefers to work out with a partner
• Likes to see immediate results
• Exercises to "e;blow off steam"e;

Fitness Personality No. 4:  Heart Smart

• Prefers exercise equipment or personal trainers
• Tends to be an avid sports participant
• Likes to alternate muscle groups in workouts
• Enjoys aerobic exercise that revs up the heart rate
• Exercises to increase energy, build stamina and burn calories

Fitness Personality No. 5:  Easy Does It

• Avoids the gym
• Uncomfortable exercising in groups
• Prefers low-impact fitness routines
• May be working around old sports injuries or other health concerns (such as back pain, etc.)
• Exercises to build resilience, stability and self-confidence