Physical exercise: an incubator of creativity

This text was written by a TecMundo columnist; Learn more at the end.

Creative thinking. You live your life, your routine, day by day. inner faceAn unexpected new idea. This is called peace. Unexpected lucky discoveries. This is a very nice and motivating experience. Science has discovered that we can trigger more of this in our lives through movement: physical exercise.

Creative thinking consists of two components: divergent thinking and convergent thinking. The first is to form ideas by establishing relationships between different and unrelated things; for example, when we create options about what we need to do to solve a problem.

A classic psychology test asks the subject to think of as many uses of simple objects as possible, such as tires, newspapers, magnets, playing cards, and popsicle sticks. This is where we can “think outside the box” to create a greater number of possibilities (fluidity) with different forms (flexibility) and rarities (originality) of the object’s uses. Convergent thinking is a more controlled mental process that seeks a single solution to a problem, like solving a puzzle.

As humanity, we are looking for ways to develop both ideas.

Thanks to science, we have discovered that body movement is a particularly interesting way to think differently. This is what we call the cognitive effects of physical activity, which we will now learn more about.

Creativity: Do we need it?

You might think this might be irrelevant since your job doesn’t seem to require creativity. However, consider other situations, such as preparing dinner with the ingredients you have at home or being able to play with your children even with few toy options. Sometimes new business or life plans can emerge in just a few steps. From now on, we will value being creative more and a different motivation to exercise may arise.

Creativity training?

When we think about creativity there is no need to complicate things in the exercise. New ideas may be near you. One study found that climbing stairs is a valid form. Compared to using the elevator, climbing stairs increased creativity (divergent thinking) in medical students by 61%. Stairs were also more efficient because they saved more time than having to wait for the elevator.

Another easier and more accessible way to unleash creativity is to walk. That’s why “giving your ideas some support” even became the title of a study. In addition to reducing ruminative negative thoughts, it can also improve divergent thinking. Various studies in science have demonstrated the potential of “natural walking,” that is, walking at one’s chosen pace, to enhance this type of creativity.

This is a gentle exercise, but you can choose to try it a little harder and even dance. In practice, it is important to pay attention to your intensity, as maximum effort may not be conducive to idea generation due to high physical stress.

When we talk about being more creative, the effects of aerobic training are more recognized than strength training. Another thing we already know is that chronic effects outweigh acute ones, meaning long-term educational persistence is more powerful for thinking differently.

How does physical exercise stimulate creativity?

Despite limited research on the mechanisms by which exercise may create creativity, Physical movement is known to benefit the brain by creating the potential for greater creativity through structural and physiological changes.Such as activation of different brain regions, greater blood circulation carrying more oxygen and nutrients, as well as the presence of growth factors that create an instant incubator for new ideas.

One of the emergent phenomena is temporary hypofrontality; This indicates a decrease in brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for reasoning and decision-making, and increased activity in areas required for exercise, such as the motor cortex.

An exercise session seems to distract us from daily problems and give space for dreaming. It is also a space that promotes positive emotions such as well-being, which can aid in the process of generating new ideas. Creativity makes innovation and invention possible in many areas. Act to be creative.

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Fábio Dominski He holds a PhD in Human Movement Sciences and a degree in Physical Education from Santa Catarina State University (UDESC). He is a university professor and researcher at the Laboratory of Sport and Exercise Psychology (LAPE/UDESC). he is doing scientific dissemination on social media there The podcast is available on Spotify. Author of Physical Exercise and Science – Facts and Myths.

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