Exercise is not magic. When it comes to physical and mental transformation, it is the best thing that is available to us. The fitness fanatics have a cultish devotion to what they do. But even people who are aware of the physical benefits of exercise might be unaware of the benefits that regular workouts may have on the mind. If you delve deeper into it, you will be able to find out the benefits.

Exercise helps people come out with new ideas and many researchers consider this to be a proxy to creative thinking. Many people want to develop fiction-writing, drawing, and music composing skills to get their creative flow going. But this is not a very easy task. Exercise not only helps in improving memory but also helps in improving imagination.

Know-How Exercise Helps In Improving Creativity

There is no doubt about the fact that exercise helps in improving creativity. If you want to know in details about how they can do it, you can go through the discussion given below:

Releases Neurotransmitters

Most of you are aware of the fact that exercise releases endorphins that help you to feel good. But these are just one of the four mood-boosting chemicals. These chemicals have a great influence on the creativity of an individual. Apart from endorphins, exercise also releases oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine that are considered to be happiness chemicals. The more they pump around your body, the better it is for you. It is said that a positive mind frame has a great impact on motivation, general well being, and productivity.

The two of the strongest players in the creativity game are dopamine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters also calm you and also create excitement in you. Calmness and excitement may make you feel that they are opposite, however, this is not the case. These two things together can create a somewhat relaxed as well as an energized state of mind.

When the serotonin levels are down, you tend to feel lonely, depressed, and also anxious. The people who are suffering from chronic depression or anxiety require medication. To keep the levels in check, there are also some natural boosters that you can use to give yourself a pick-up.

When you do cardiovascular exercises your blood starts pumping and this stimulates the production of serotonin. You simply need around 15 minutes of brisk walking to feel its positive effects. You can also go outdoors and team up with one or two of your close friends and then enjoy some time under the sun to get some vitamin D. This will also release serotonin in your body. Dopamine is a procrastinator-buster. If the level of dopamine is high, then it will certainly help you to move past any kind of self-doubt. You will also stay motivated till you get things done.

Grows New Brain Cells

Exercise also helps in growing brain cells within the hippocampus that also plays a very important role in cognitive function. The most important function of the hippocampus is long term memory. But the most recent studies show that if there is new cell growth in this section of the brain, it enables people to imagine new situations and ideas. Neurogenesis is the process of developing new brain cells. This is something that all human beings are capable of doing even when they tend to get lost due to age.

The affiliated studies of the Harvard Medical School also suggest that if there is an increase in the production of neurons in the hippocampus, then it can also help in restoring the function of the brain. The same study suggests that if there is a prolonged depression, it inhibits neurogenesis in the hippocampus by as much as 10%.

There is a strong connection between creativity and mental illness. Neurogenesis ensures that the brain continues to operate at optimum cognitive capacity and this makes all the difference. The question that arises here is how we can supercharge the production of the neuron? The answer to this is that aerobic exercise is the key.

Studies show that moderate-intensity exercises like aerobic exercises, swimming, jogging, power walking yield greater results in comparison to resistance training and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). Again, if you do not like to get sweaty too fast, then these low impact exercises are the perfect way to start.

Exercises That Improve Your Creativity

Some of the best exercises that improve your creativity are as follows:

Yoga

This is a form of exercise that is beneficial for both the mind and the body. It helps you to open yourself up to creative inspiration through movement, energy, and breath.

High-Intensity Interval Training

High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is a combination of endurance and resistance training. These boost cognition and memory and also improves creativity.

Running

Runner’s High can do certain magical things for the body. In order to enjoy these advantages, you will simply have to lace up the sneakers and start running on the pavement. 

Weight–Lifting

Weight-lifting is not just about picking up things and putting them down.  It is much more than that as it requires quite a lot of brainpower as well.

Walking

To a lot of people, walking is monotonous and casual but a study conducted at Stanford says that this casual stroll can improve your creative thinking significantly.

Summary

There are many people interested in doing exercises but there are very few people who are aware of the mental benefits of exercise. If you get into the habit of exercising regularly, it will improve your physical as well as your mental well-being.