Scientists have proved that walking makes people more creative

They say the most brilliant ideas are often born literally on the move. And it's not a figure of speech. Researchers from Stanford University foundGive Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking unique connection between love for pedestrian walks and creativity - the talent to generate new ideas. Moreover, this relationship could be measured mathematically.

As it turned out, people do not walk around the room in vain, when about something passionately reflect. Walking really helps to think.

In principle, the relationship between physical activity and mental faculties not a discovery. However, walking in a series of physical exercises stands. With her modern science linksThinking, Walking, Talking: Integratory Motor and Cognitive Brain Function very human brain development. Mol, of Homo sapiens began to turn in only after confidence rose to the lower limbs and briskly walked by them on the earth's surface - a one-two, one-two.

Such a process is called bipedalism movement. At first glance, nothing special, but upon closer inspection, bipedalism is a complex motion in the treatment of many areas which are involved

To help our ancestors to keep the balance, the right to distribute the load on the skeleton and muscles, to cross and jump over obstacles, to move rhythmically and synchronously, old brain was forced to strain to such an extent that "grew" his neocortex - the most covered convolutions gray matter, which is believed to allow us to contact you think. And do not believe that this evolution was completed.

To understand how it affects walking on the mind of modern humans, researchers from Stanford University conducted a series of experiments by connecting them 176 people. During the experiments, the volunteers were set a variety of tasks the thinking, with resolve their required in different conditions:

• sitting on a chair in the room;
• walking on a treadmill in a room;
• sitting in a wheelchair, which moves around the campus of Stanford (so scientists want to simulate experiences encountered by people while walking);
• walking outdoors.

Tasks that are proposed to solve, have been associated with the inspiration and the search for new ideas. For example, volunteers were asked to find as many unusual ways to use any ordinary object. By the way, it's good exercise creativity, try? Take, for example, a paper clip. Where it can be applied? Sketching out ideas - the more, the better.

The second type of tasks are so-called divergent thinking. Before the experiment, the participants put some simple tasks and asked to solve it in different ways. An example of this problem: to find a word that is bound to the other three. Let these words - "pie", "Switzerland", "farm". Combining word-making can be a lot of "cream cheese" (it is added to cakes, as well as it is made from milk from cows living in the alpine farms in Switzerland), "cheese", "rosemary" and so on. The more of these ideas Spreads participants, the higher the assessed their creative possibilities. In addition, separately, scientists have noted the "new ideas" - the unique solution to which never thought of other volunteers.

Next, the researchers analyzed the collected statistics and found out: the number of "new ideas", if a person walking, increased by 60%! And no matter where it took a walk: and those who walked around the campus, and those who are reeling meters on the treadmill in the room as a whole showed the same results.

It is interesting that the subjects themselves noticed how when walking on them condescends inspiration.

81% of the subjects admitted that during the walk feel full of fresh thoughts and ideas.

Scientists suggest that the reasons for this surprising effect - the same that once led to the evolution of the neocortex. While walking our brain works more actively, easier to install new neural connections, energetic couples various departments their. Therefore, solutions that come to us during the walk, are often truly brilliant.

A nice bonus: the high level of creativity persists for some time after you came back from a walk, sits in a chair. So if you feel that you are stuck behind a desk and you can not squeeze out of himself the necessary idea, go to ventilate. The reward will not only inspiration, but also a number of other advantages for health and moodThat gives walking.

see also

• 15 reasons to go at least 15 minutes of walking per day →
• 10 reasons to spend more time in nature →
• 3 exercises that will bring to life your creative thinking →
• 10 films that inspire creativity →