For most of us, the word "should" sparks our initial good intentions, but it usually isn't sufficient motivation to continue a new behavior. No surprise, since "should" comes from the same word root as "scold". Who wants to be scolded into doing something that's supposed to be both fun and good for us?

       When "should" motivates us to join a health club or buy a new pair of running shoes, those items soon become sources of stress and guilt. Instead of feeling good about ourselves, we cringe every time the bill for the unused health club membership comes, or we open our bedroom closet and see our new running shoes still sitting there in their box, unused.

Choose Type-Specific Activities

       There are hundreds of activities that raise your heart rate, increase your breathing, encourage flexibility, and build muscle strength. Some activities are naturally better suited to specific personality types than others.

       For instance, activities that require strong internal body awareness or step-by-step detail, such as aerobic step dancing, some forms of yoga, diving and gymnastics, are best suited for Ss.

       Activities that only require a general idea to get started -- walking, swimming, running, bicycling, and gardening -- are good places for Ns to start. If desired, detail and refinement of technique can be gradually learned after a general conditioning level has been reached.

       Es migrate to team sports and organized classes.

       Drop-in classes like aerobics are better for Ps. Many places offer punch card programs so you can retain a measure of time flexibility, yet make a commitment.

       Activities that require scheduling or reserved space, like group cycling, are great for Js, and can work for Ps once they've gotten into a fitness habit.

       Remember, not all fitness activities fall under the category of sports. Active hobbies such as gardening and bird watching can be excellent physical conditioning activities, depending on how you do them.

        Many activities become type specific solely through adjusting the attitude and intention with which the activity is conducted. For instance, every personality type can become a natural jogger or runner. See the red tab, where there is a table on "Running and Personality Type" for ideas on how to tailor running, jogging and race-walking to your specific personality type.

       I suspect the field of personal trainers is similar to the field of education -- with a plethora of the SJ temperament. SJs are typically service-oriented, good with detail, practical and concrete thinkers who enjoy structure and routine, and live a life filled happily with "shoulds". Great, if you're in the 45% of the population who are SJs.

       What if you're not? Often, you wind up feeling frustrated and incompetent. Unwittingly, the SJ approaches recommended by health and fitness experts go against the natural way for the rest of us. Many of us quit, when we get frustrated with doing things the "wrong" way.

       Fortunately, once you understand personality type, you realize there are many right ways. Making fitness fun is easy -- fit the activity to your natural personality type. Here's a chart with some type-specific suggestions.

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