Aerobic Exercise as the Fuel for Enhanced Creativity: A Review of Evidence

Background: Creative thinking is considered as an ultimate form of human thinking, which is influenced by various biological and psychological factors.Literature reveals that bodily movements are associated with enhanced creativity in select professions.The present review aimed to summarize the effects of various forms of acute exercise on creative thinking processes.Materials and methods: An electronic search of databases such as MEDLINE through PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar was performed to retrieve appropriate reference literature.The period was set from inception till November 2021 to identify relevant English language peer-reviewed articles on exercise and creativity.Eight articles were selected for review after shortlisting from the relevant literature.Results: Studies reveal that a wide range of participants (children and adults; athletes and non-athletes) benefited from acute exercise-induced enhanced creative thinking.Majority of the studies employed objective measurements of exercise-enhanced creativity.Various forms of exercise (walking, running, jogging, cycling, swimming, etc.) enhanced the creative thinking processes.Conclusion: Though most forms of acute exercise enhanced the creative thinking processes, exercise forms that are aerobic in nature, involving a wide range of body movements, and performed for a longer period of time, had the most beneficial effects on creativity.