Empirically, it can be said that you, the reader, are indeed human. Fundamentally, humans require regular exercise each week to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately many struggle with getting enough exercise; which is only good for creating a society of sedentary bummers! Many published studies have gone deep on the impacts of physical fitness on the mental condition. All of these studies and articles find a positive correlation between regular exercise and positive shifts in one’s persona. Additionally, countless blog posts & articles are still being produced by authors who testify how exercise has changed their lives for the better.
The most common effects from exercise can be (loosely) summed up as an increase in self-esteem, reduced anxiety, and an increase in energy levels. But how exactly does exercise facilitate that? How can one do the bare minimum and reap the benefits? Most importantly… How will you change after adding consistent exercise to your life?
When you exercise for a long period of time — let’s say eight weeks — it can morph your worldview by slowly shaping your personality. A book published by Texas Tech. supports the evidence of a correlation between personality and physical activity. The book serves as a foundation in establishing what personality is. It establishes five key trait dimensions for establishing one’s personality: those being extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness (marclochbaum, 2025). However, only three traits are necessary to understand exercise’s implications to someone’s personality; they are extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness.
How do you define these three traits? Extraversion is one’s sociability, assertiveness, and attitude regarding the outside world. Next is neuroticism, which is a blanket term for emotional vulnerability. A person high in neuroticism may experience more stress, anxiety, and is very risk-conscious. Finally, the idea of conscientiousness: a person high in this trait will be more diligent in their work, have more commitment when completing tasks, and have more self-discipline. These definitions have been paraphrased from a Velocity article which runs down all five tenets of personality. It is pretty useful for identifying the habits associated with each bracket (The Big 5 Personality Traits: Navigating Work Environments, 2023.)
In order to obtain quantitative data on the subject, a study published by the National Institute of Health (NIH), used meta-analysis on 36 compiled, peer-reviewed studies. They found that frequent exercise correlates nicely with an increase in extraversion (r =0.23), conscientiousness (r = 0.20), and a decrease in neuroticism (r = -0.11) (Rhodes & Smith, 2006). “R” represents the correlation values; the higher the number the stronger the association. What this means on a practical level, is when you work out for an extended time (e.g. 8 weeks) you can expect to be more outgoing, more self-conscious (in an objective sense) and less emotionally erratic.
Unfortunately, many individuals struggle with their mental health, which causes the physical side of their “health triangle” to deteriorate; this creates a sedentary lifestyle which does no good in helping the brain function. An article written by the Mayo Clinic states the interrelationship between frequent exercise and being a happier person. (Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms, 2024) The reasoning behind this: positive effects from exercise can be largely attributed to the release of endorphins, or the hormones that can improve sense of well-being and alleviate pain. In addition, the Mayo Clinic also states the more practical effects of working out; such as using it as a tool to mentally cope, and a way to find social interaction.
One more common mental health struggle is self-esteem and how we view ourselves. Your own self-esteem is one of the most powerful forces in your life, and physical activity has shown positive benefits associated with seeing oneself in a better light. In an essay written by Gabriella Cardoso of Florida Atlantic University, she elaborates on an idea called “self-efficacy,” or the conceptualization of one’s self and what they can accomplish (The Transformative Impact of Exercise on Self-Esteem, 2024). Gabby elaborates that an increase in self-efficacy helps nurture all (especially adolescents) by easing symptoms of low self-esteem and social withdrawal.
Finally, on a more personal anecdote, the positive reflection of my self-image after exercising is almost tangible. Every time I go to the gym, even if it feels like I’m “throwing weight around,” I feel very rewarded because my body reflects a better-looking person than the guy I saw the day before. This, I believe, is one of the reasons why the gym becomes such a habit for some people… thinking you are doing good is an addictive feeling. So I implore all who are looking for a change of pace to start incorporating mild exercise into their lives. Let your body free your mind of sedimentary living, and enjoy your physical body for all that it’s worth!
Bibliography:
marclochbaum. (2018). Chapter 6: Personality and Physical Activity. Pressbooks.pub; Pressbooks. https://raider.pressbooks.pub/essentialsofexercisepsychology/chapter/chapter-6-personality-and-physical-activity/
The Big 5 personality traits: Navigating work environments. (2023). Velocityokc.com. https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/member-news/the-big-5-personality-traits-navigating-work-environments/#:~:text=These%20traits%20%2D%2D%20Openness%2C%20Conscientiousness,for%20both%20employees%20and%20employers.
Rhodes, R. E., & Smith, N. E. I. (2006). Personality correlates of physical activity: a review and meta-analysis: Table 1. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(12), 958–965. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2006.028860
Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms. (2024). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495
The Transformative Impact of Exercise on Self-Esteem. (2024). Florida Atlantic University. https://www.fau.edu/thrive/students/thrive-thursdays/physicalheallth/