So, you’re just not feeling the burn when you have to share a bench with the sweaty beefcake at your gym. Worse, you quickly grow impatient with walking; biking is not your style; and going through the motions on an elliptical bores you to tears.

Don’t sweat it. If you find a workout that complements your personality, it will be easier to get – and stay – committed.

“The hardest part isn’t finding your style, but getting comfortable enough to get started. There are people with radically different styles, and it basically comes down to what you enjoy. There are gyms, classes, workouts and trainers that fit different personalities,” says Vernon Byers, manager/head trainer at The Power Shack, 6363 Cooper Rd.

The Adventurer
If you despise the couch and are constantly seeking new places to enjoy, there are plenty of calorie-burning activities to explore.

Grab your mountain bike and head to one of the many trails around the city. Alum Creek State Park Mountain Bike Trail, 12 miles north of Columbus, includes a 2-mile loop for beginners and a 5-miler for more advanced riders. When it’s dry, Alum Creek boasts an extensive network of trails through wooded areas, with creek crossings and short, steep hills.

Strap on some boots and head to Highbanks in Lewis Center. You can combine the Overlook and Dripping Rock Trails to get a 5.8-mile trip through forests and past Native American earthworks. Head east to the Hocking Hills area, which includes some of the best hiking trails (and aesthetics) provided by the Appalachian foothills.

Central Ohio’s pretty flat, but you can try your hand at rock climbing at places like Vertical Adventures on Busch Boulevard (www.verticaladventuresohio.com). Lifetime Fitness includes a climbing wall, and Columbus Outdoor Pursuits facilitates a rock climbing program (www.outdoor-pursuits.org).

Hit the water for a canoe trip and let the scenery distract you. The Rockbridge Road Bridge on the Hocking River covers 54 miles of waterway, and Dillon State Park, in Muskingum County, cruises along the picturesque Licking River.

Don’t let Old Man Winter chill your spirit of adventure. Take an impromptu cross-country ski or snowshoe trek at Highbanks; at Lobdell Reserve, in Licking County; Prairie Oaks Metro Park, in West Jefferson; or Deer Creek State Park, a half hour south of Columbus.

The Self-Sufficient
Addicted to serotonin? There are plenty of ways to up the ante on a workout. Sign up for boot camp or Body Pump, or hop on a Spinning bike, a sure-fire challenge offered by most gyms.

What better way to clear your head than to jump on a long trail and run? The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department recently drew up a plan to expand the trails system so that it’s eventually about 165 miles throughout the metro area, many connecting various suburbs. Currently there are about 48 miles of trail network. Map your path at www.metroparks.net.

No excuses! There are tons of options throughout Central Ohio for you to fill your must-have workouts (trails, paths, women-only gyms, gyms with a pool or day care, etc.)

The Socialite
If you need fitness time to “catch up,” or you rely heavily on others to push you, grab a friend and get a gym membership. Most gyms cater to socialites by offering an abundance of classes so you’re never short on support or motivation. There are also group training options, where you and your friends can employ a personal trainer.

“The social psychology of group training really makes it more competitive than if you were working out with a trainer on your own, or alone on a treadmill. That, in turn, can make it a bit more intense,” says Rick Rick III, fitness/personal training manager at Premier at Sawmill, 3111 Hayden Rd., www.premieratsawmill.com.

If you’re a fierce competitor or a team player, there are many teams in the Columbus area to join – from Cap City Flag Football to Ohio Roller Girls, to sand volleyball or bowling leagues.

If you network while exercising, check out the Columbus Running Club or Road Runners; the Buckeye Striders (walking club) or New Albany Walking Club; the Central Ohio Bicycle Club; the Central Ohio Hiking Club; or the Columbus Sharks masters swim team.

The Exercise Disguisers
You know, the ones who are in perfect shape but never pick up a weight. These people might not be as annoying as you think. They actually put forth lots of effort; they just do it a bit differently. Maybe they’re devoted to yoga or Pilates, or they’re into martial arts. Maybe they just like to dance a lot.

“Dancing burns a lot of calories and is really big in California right now, which means it will be big here in a year or so,” says Byers.

For now, there is a long list of gyms and studios here that include yoga and Pilates, as well as some dance classes to fit your groove, from hip hop and belly dancing, to Zumba and Body Jam, as well as martial arts programs, from Tae Kwan Do to kickboxing.

“These nontraditional workouts are for those who don’t like the regimented, robotic movements. They don’t associate things like dance or martial arts with exercise, yet they’re still getting what they need,” Rick says.

The Apprehensive or Self-Confessed Couch Potato
If you’re new or not a very confident exerciser and you’re unsure of what to do or how to do it, it would be best to hire a personal trainer.

“We talk to them before we do anything else, to find what they like and make sure they’re doing it right. It is really important to find out what their goals are before they jump into anything,” Byers says.

If it’s the gym atmosphere that intimidates you, perhaps you just have the wrong idea.

“I think people worry that everyone will be watching them, or that they’re not doing something right. Most people at a gym are doing their own thing and don’t care what others are doing,” Rick says. “A lot also think everyone in the gym will be chiseled with six-packs except for them, but the majority of people are normal-sized.”

Whatever your personality, the best workouts are those you like enough to keep doing. But you’re never going to know what that is unless you try it. Sign up for different classes; check out yoga; hit the trail by foot on Tuesday and by bike on Thursday. Enlist your spouse for dancing lessons … Fitness is about more than counting calories and obsessively watching your waistline. Mix it up and have fun.

Alicia Kelso is editor of CityScene.