You’ve got to hand it to researchers at the University of Alberta. They seem to have put their fingers on the reason behind why some people are more motivated to exercise than others.

According to a joint research study between the UofA and the University of California-Riverside, there’s a direct correlation between digit length and desire to work out. That is, people with a higher index finger:ring finger ratio (typically women) are more willing to exercise.

For example, someone whose index finger is longer than their ring finger would have a higher ratio than someone whose ring finger is longer than their index finger. Got that?

“The research shows a link, or relationship, between the brain, behaviour and personality traits and the shape of the hand,” lead researcher Peter Hurd, of the University of Alberta, said in a news release. “It opens the door to the notion that aspects of one’s personality, in this case the desire to exercise, are fixed very early in life.”

Researchers say the findings point to prenatal stress, not prenatal testosterone levels as previously thought, as a more plausibly accurate indicator of certain behaviour, according to the news release.

A study at England’s Southampton University showed that lower index finger:ring finger ratios are indicative of greater athletic ability.

Having a ring finger that’s longer than your index finger has also been correlated to higher salaries, more aggression and a lower risk of heart disease.

Fascinating stuff.

But if you ask for my unscientific thought on the U of A research, I’d venture to say that most people’s motivation to exercise is directly proportional to the size of their mid-sections.

Hurd’s study was published about 18 months ago by the Public Library of Science. Read the study here.

Tags: University of Alberta