Finding Inspiration on the Treadmill

When your job asks you to brainstorm on regular basis, even a marketing wunderkind will hit the creative wall once in a while. To keep those mental blocks to a minimum, Dr. Amantha Imber recommends aerobic exercise, citing a study by David Blanchette that concludes a little workout pays big dividends in creativity:



-Group 1 did no exercise prior to their creative task. "Lucky them, some of you might be thinking," says Imber.

-Group 2 participated in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise—such as walking, biking, swimming and running—before undertaking their creative task.

-Group 3 also took 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, but waited for two hours before digging in to their creative task.

But group 1 wasn't so lucky after all. "The researchers found that groups 2 and 3 performed significantly better on the task than the no-exercise group," says Imber. With this in mind, she suggests:

-Going to the gym—or at least for a brisk walk—ahead of your brainstorming sessions.

-Scheduling lunchtime walking groups to encourage creativity during the afternoon.

-Considering mini-workouts when you're in the middle of extended creative sessions.

The Po!nt: Says Imber, "As well as concluding that aerobic exercise enhances creativity, [researchers] also point out that the positive effects of this activity are somewhat enduring, and certainly last at least up to two hours after completing the exercise."

Source: Article submitted by Amantha Imber.