Boost Creativity for Hours With Exercise
After working out, do you feel like your creativity goes through the roof? New research shows that a half hour of exercise can lead to hours of increased creativity.Photo by bass_nroll.
Some outdoor runners attribute the changing scenery and new visuals to their creativeness. I’m sure that helps, but it seems that the exercise itself is primarily why we become inspired.
Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman for Newsweek:
Get moving: Almost every dimension of cognition improves from 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and creativity is no exception. The type of exercise doesn’t matter, and the boost lasts for at least two hours afterward. However, there’s a catch: this is the case only for the physically fit. For those who rarely exercise, the fatigue from aerobic activity counteracts the short-term benefits.
The full Newsweek article has a few more interesting insights on creativity. One suggestion which has great psychology involved says to never tell somebody to be creative.
Such an instruction may just cause people to freeze up. However, according to the University of Georgia’s Mark Runco, there is a suggestion that works: “Do something only you would come up with—that none of your friends or family would think of.” When Runco gives this advice in experiments, he sees the number of creative responses double.
It seems like telling someone to be creative may actually cause them to self sabotage. But the suggestion to think outside of the box or to try something no one else would do gives a person the freedom to explore more options to solve a problem. Very clever!
Do you have any ways to boost creativity in your life?
Read the full article from Newsweek – Forget Brainstorming.
