Physically fit people tend to be more creative.

New research shows that active individuals not only excel in fields like science and engineering but also in creative endeavors such as cooking, music, and sports. This relationship may be partly mediated by the intensity at which exercise is performed, with moderate and vigorous intensities showing a stronger association with creativity.

This novel finding suggests that physical activity's effect on creativity extends to success in the real world.

It's not just our creativity that benefits from movement—so does memory. Engaging in just 20-30 minutes of exercise can enhance memory the next day, or perhaps even longer. That's because new (and novel) research suggests that a single session of exercise before learning can improve memory for up to 2 months!
 

Good ideas come to us during exercise because physical activity enhances brain blood flow and stimulates the production of neurochemicals like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), activating neural activity.

Today, we'll explore this research on exercise and cognitive function, break down why it's important, and discuss the implications for how we approach learning and creative work.

Active people are more creative

In the first study, researchers used activity-monitoring devices and self-report questionnaires to assess how active people were on a regular basis along with how intense their physical activities were—ranging from sedentary to light to moderate-to-vigorous. One of the strengths here is the inclusion of two measures of activity: How much participants thought they did (subjective activity) and how much they actually did (objective activity).
 

Self-reported (subjective) activity was associated with both types of creativity. Participants who reported being more active engaged in more creative activities and also produced more "noteworthy" creative outputs.
 

Objective physical activity was only associated with engaging in more creative activities—not more creative outputs. 

Intensity matters

Higher-intensity exercise appeared to be important when it came to creativity—engaging in more moderate-to-vigorous activity was related to more creativity.
 

On the other hand, being more sedentary tanked creativity. The more time participants spent in sedentary activity, the less creative they were.

Some creative domains benefit more than others

Although creativity in general benefitted from more physical activity, certain domains appeared to be most impacted. These included cooking, music, and sports (for objective physical activity) and cooking, music, sports, and science & engineering (for subjective activity). Literature, arts & crafts, and the visual and performing arts were among the domains that weren't associated with either measure of physical activity.

Objective and subjective physical activity and their association with creative activities (CAct) and creative achievements (CAch).

Using exercise for a memory boost

The results of the previous study suggest that habitual activity is associated with more creative activities and achievements. But I think there's reason to believe that exercise also has immediate and lasting effects on creativity and other measures of brain function, for example, memory. There is a robust literature to suggest that exercise improves memory. To show a few examples:
 

• Just 10 minutes of light-intensity exercise (30% of VO₂ peak) rapidly enhances highly detailed memory processing and elevates activity in the hippocampus and the surrounding regions. It also increases coupling between the hippocampus and cortical regions that are known to support detailed memory processing.
• Aerobic exercise training (walking) for 12 weeks improved memory in older adults— MRIs also revealed that participants experienced increased connectivity between the default mode network and regions of the brain involved in memory. This suggests that exercise literally changes the brain's memory circuitry.
• Acute low, moderate-, and maximal-intensity exercise improved memory for up to 24 hours—maximal intensity exercise produced the most robust effects.
• Any physical activity is associated with better memory—all durations of walking, most durations of light activities, moderate activities for ≥1 hour, and strenuous activities for 1 to <2 hours were associated with better memory among a large population of Canadian adults.
   

The evidence that exercise bolsters memory for hours to weeks or more is strengthened by a few newer studies. 

In one study, participants performed better on memory tests when they engaged in just 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity on the previous day. And the more activity they engaged in, the better their memory was.
 

But could exercise enhance your memory for several months or more?
 

Another study found that, while exercise didn't enhance memory 24 hours after a learning task, memory several weeks later was improved—a novel finding in that very few studies to date have investigated time points of this duration.
 

The participants completed a single 20-minute bout of aerobic exercise at 50% of their maximum heart rate—what would be considered low-to-moderate intensity exercise—immediately before a learning and encoding task during which they had to memorize a total of 15 words.
 

To test their long-term memory, the participants were asked to remember as many words as possible 24 hours, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 11 months later. They did the same thing in another condition where they learned a set of words without exercising beforehand.
 

No differences in memory between the groups were present 24 hours after the learning and encoding task. However, exercise enhanced long-term memory by 10% at 6 weeks and by nearly 8% at 8 weeks—the participants remembered significantly more words compared to when they didn't exercise.

Eight weeks appeared to be the limit for long-term memory, as no differences were observed 11 months after the learning/encoding session.
 

The takeaway here is this: Exercise helps you learn information better, and the effects can last an incredibly long time.

Why exercise benefits the brain

Exercise has a profound impact on memory and creativity, driven by multiple interconnected mechanisms.
 

• Neurochemical boost: Exercise elevates hormones and growth factors like dopamine and BDNF. These compounds enhance synaptic plasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and strengthen neural connections. (For more on BDNF, see also our 30-page Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint available to all readers)
• Information retention: Physical activity helps solidify new information over time.
• Sleep: Improved sleep quality, often associated with regular exercise, further supports learning by enhancing the brain's ability to organize and store memories.
• Embodied cognition: Physical activity, such as walking or dancing, can stimulate creative thinking and divergent problem solving. This is bolstered by exercise-induced changes in brain structure, like increased hippocampal volume, and the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which support both mood and cognitive flexibility.
• Positive thinking: Physical activity not only sharpens basic cognitive functions like attention and memory but also fosters a positive mental state, reducing stress and freeing the mind for innovative thought.
   

Together, these mechanisms underscore how exercise enriches both memory and creativity, offering a compelling case for integrating movement into daily routines for cognitive and creative enhancement.

Final thoughts

We often talk about how exercise improves our physical health by enhancing our lifespan and reducing our disease risk.
 

But living a good life is about more than avoiding disease and being fit—a high-quality life also includes creative pursuits, artistic achievements, and striving for mastery in our chosen profession. 
 

If you have a presentation to prepare, an exam to study for, or a language to learn, it's clear that you should be exercising beforehand. All you need is twenty minutes of light activity. But for a more potent effect, I love high-intensity exercise due to its impact on BDNF and other neuromodulators that play a role in long-term memory. It makes my brain feel good four several hours after.
 

It's clear that not only can exercise help you learn and remember information better, but it might also just help you come up with better ideas and allow you to execute on these ideas in your personal and professional life.

Exercise to stimulate good ideas, and exercise to remember them better.

To learn more about the cognitive effects of exercise, check out my members-only Q&A sessions, #24 and #6.

With appreciation,

Rhonda and the FMF Team