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May 2010 | by Linda V. Berens The 8 Colors of Exercise Fitness
An interview with Suzanne Brue (ENFJ), author of The 8 Colors of Fitness. Interviewed by Linda Berens (INTP)
LB (Linda Berens): Suzanne, what is the 8 Colors of Fitness?
SB (Suzanne Brue): The 8 Colors of Fitness ™ is a personality centered approach to exercise grounded in the personality type framework popularized by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instrument. The 8 Colors is based on 8 preference pairs each corresponding to a Color. By understanding your Fitness Personality you gain an understanding of your motivational patterns, preferred interactions, and environments, and can more effectively choose specific forms of physical activity that are best for you and you will stick with. For instance, some people are traditional and conservative in their approach to exercise while others seek variety and cutting-edge information. Some enjoy solitude and consider exercise a moving meditation while others prefer a fast-paces class with energetic music. In exercise as in everything else, it’s “different strokes for different folks.” LB: Why did you decide to focus on exercise and type? SB: It combines two of my passions—type and fitness. I have studied type for many years, and also have been an avid exerciser. I made the connection between type and exercise in 2001 while observing my mother (ESFJ) in a physical therapy session. I noticed that the physical therapist was being vague in his instructions. I thought to myself, “not good.” I could see that he wasn’t getting through to her about what she needed to do to heal her rotator cuff. I made some suggestions to the physical therapist such as to teach her the exercises step-by- step, make sure she was comfortable that her form was correct, and to be very specific about how many sets and reps she should do of each exercise. I also suggested that he give her positive feedback when she was doing each exercise correctly. My mother was very pleased with these recommendations, and went on to a better recovery. I remember being excited by this insight and immediately saw the application to exercise— an Ni moment. I suppose I wanted to find a way to use what I knew about type to help improve people’s lives. I was curious about the exercise patterns of the different types. Why is it that in spite of their best intentions, the majority of the population has difficulty sticking to an exercise program, while others are able to stay active year after year? I wanted to understand the personality piece--it became a fascinating puzzle. Click here to continue reading article: Articles on MBTI ® applications & Personality Types |
