@roguelazer I guess that comes down to how you define "preferred".
I'd say that my preferred form of exercise is lifting weights, since that's the one I do most commonly.
If wine-drinking helped me stay in shape, I'd "prefer" to do that instead.
It doesn't, though, so my habitual or "preferred' form is weight lifting.
@roguelazer but, yes, many people thought of "preferred" as "wished-for" instead of "habitual".