How to Get Your Creative Groove On is an original series by Perch. This week we’ll look at the positive relationship between exercise and creativity.
Week 24: Get Active
In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit I am no role model for exercise. I love Pilates, and occasionally I’ll make myself go running, but I am not a daily (or even weekly) exerciser. I’ve heard that gardening is a great way to burn calories, but I am pretty sure weeding, mulching, and chasing after my dogs does not constitute a well-balanced workout.
That said, there is enormous research in support of a positive relationship between exercise and creativity. A study published by the British Medical Journal of Sports Medicine reports, “It seems clear from published and unpublished case reports collected by ourselves that creative individuals, especially writers and academics, do use various forms of movement, mostly walking, to help them, especially when they are blocked.” Results of the study showed that exercise seemed to most greatly enhance mental flexibility, as well as improve mood. The study notes that freer forms of exercise, like running or dance, for periods of time longer than 25 minutes, may also directly increase creative thinking.
Another study published in the Creativity Research Journal demonstrates a positive relationship between aerobic exercise and creativity specifically. In fact, the study shows that creativity is enhanced immediately after moderate aerobic exercise and is not diminished two hours later, showing a positive residual affect.
Photo by knife18, sxc.hu
I know so many creatives who love yoga and espouse its many benefits. But what about yoga and creativity? Jeff Davis, writer and faculty mentor at Western Connecticut State University, believes that yoga can move individuals “into creative immersion and help them change mental patterns that sabotage creativity.” (News release, PRLeap.com, October 2007). In Davis’ own words, ”Yoga won’t make writing easy,” Davis contends, “because, well, writing is difficult. But Yoga is helping thousands of writers to facilitate and design their own creative process – rather than to be at the whim of random flashes of ‘inspiration,’ moods, or energy peaks.”
Next Steps
So how can you leverage the benefits of exercise to increase your creativity? The answer is simple: Get active! Freeing exercises like running and dance for about thirty minutes should show the greatest effect, and exercises like yoga can help you re-center and re-focus.
Do you exercise to increase creativity? What works best for you? If you don’t exercise, why not?
Related posts:
- Get Your Creative Groove On. Week 20: Create Partnerships
- Get Your Creative Groove On. Week 26: Laugh Hard, Laugh Often
- Get Your Creative Groove On. Week 19: Zero In
- Get Your Creative Groove On, Week 27: It’s All in How You Frame It
- Get Your Creative Groove On. Week 17: Learn Something New
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