You’ve been sitting in the office all day, but you just don’t get this hack to a good solution. Shortly after you left, there it is – this brilliant idea, so great and yet so simple.
Do you recognize yourself in this situation? We do!
What used to be a blurred feeling is, thanks to researchers from the Santa Clara University, a proven result: our brains are more creative after a walk. “Many people anecdotally claim they do their best thinking when walking,” said Marily Oppezzo, PhD, of Santa Clara University. “With this study, we finally may be taking a step or two toward discovering why.”
How to be more creative? – New study gives an answer
It has long been known that physical activity, such as aerobics, have positive effects on our state of mind. However, since most of us will probably not be able to do a few “double steps” during working hours, walks are a great physical activity. Steve Jobs used them even for meetings.
In fact, in several experiments the scientists could confirm an impressive increase of the participants’ abilities to “creative problem solving” by up to 100%. After a walk, their success rate in creativity tests, as to find word synonyms or new fields of application for common items, almost doubled compared to a control group. “Incorporating physical activity into our lives is not only beneficial for our hearts but our brains as well. This research suggests an easy and productive way to weave it into certain work activities,” Oppezzo said.
In order to explain this effect, more research is needed, but we can make use of these results today and jump of the bus a stop earlier to have a healthy walk .
Improve your creativity and sharpness – on the go
If you are starting to think about the next step toward a healthy brain, the scientists have another idea at hand: according to studies, our brain needs just ten minutes of walking and five minutes of brain activation to prepare for any upcoming cognitive challenges. Thus, before an important task, that requires your full focus and brain performance, you know what to do.
Feel the study-proven effect and bring your brain to the forefront – with NeuroNation brain training, you always have a proven partner at your side. Wherever you are, your training is there. Available in web or app.
Sources:
[1] Marily Oppezzo, Daniel L. Schwartz. Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 2014