Exercise not only helps with mental health – it makes us more creative too, say scientists

  • Date: 23-Feb-2021
  • Source: World Economic Forum
  • Sector:Healthcare
  • Country:Middle East
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Exercise not only helps with mental health – it makes us more creative too, say scientists

A positive link has been found between exercise and creativity by researchers in Austria.

The study shows physically active participants were more inventive than those with a more sedentary lifestyle - but they were not always more happy.

The results suggest that movement, rather than happiness, is the catalyst for being more creative.

A US study found that exercise reduces the number of days per month a person experiences poor mental health by more than 43%.



If jogging, cycling or brisk walks are an essential part of your daily routine, you may be better able to think outside the box than your couch-loving friends or neighbours.

The link between physical exercise and improved health - in both body and mind - is long-established, but an active lifestyle also makes you more creative, scientists have found.

Researchers at Austria's University of Graz analyzed the impact of regular exercise on the human imagination and found a clear relationship between healthy lifestyles, positive mood and innovative thinking. In general, more active meant more creative - but why?

Boosting creativity levelsA group of 79 adults aged between 18 and 33 years were studied over a five-day period, their "everyday bodily movement“ was recorded, and