Regular Exercise Is Good For Creative Problem Solving

Researchers in the Netherlands have shown that regular exercise promotes two main pillars of creativity – divergent thinking (multiple solutions to a problem) and convergent thinking (a single correct solution). Infrequent exercise, however, does not have the same effect. The researchers gave thinking tasks to people who exercise at least four times a week and to people who do not exercise regularly. Turns out that physical movement is good for thinking flexibly, but only if the body is used to regular activity. In sedentary people, a lot of the energy intended for creative thinking goes to the exercise itself.