Working out can do a whole lot more for you besides just strengthening your muscles. It can give you a sense of balance, help to reduce stress, and it can even help you get those creative juices flowing. That's right, friends: When you're stuck in a rut, getting your sweat on with workouts that help stimulate creativity can be a great way to find inspiration when it seems like it just doesn't want to find you.
You know the saying, "you don't grow when you're comfortable"? Well, the same theory can apply to creativity: If you're physically sedentary for too long, your creativity might get stunted because, according to research published in the scientific journal Psychology and Aging, exercise is linked to reduced mental fog and improved thinking skills, which suggests that neglecting to move your body on a regular basis will probably, at some point, leave you feeling pretty fuzzy when it comes time to use your brain and think outside the box a bit.
The good news is, the workouts that are associated with improved creativity really aren't that complicated. In fact, they might already be part of your normal routine. Here's what'll get your noggin going when you're lacking inspiration.
Running is an amazing form of movement that, for many people, serves as a great way to clear the mind. In an interview with Runner's World, writer Haruki Murakami said he uses this form of cardio all the time to help inspire his work.
"I try not to think about anything special while running," Murakami told the outlet. "As a matter of fact, I usually run with my mind empty. However, when I run empty-minded, something naturally and abruptly crawls in sometime. That might become an idea that can help me with my writing."
Getting on your mat and including some yoga in your day can allow you to open yourself up to creative inspiration through breath, movement, and energy — sounds pretty blissful, right?
Back in 2017, yoga instructor Randi Greene told Elite Daily that the practice can teach you to clear the mind of unwanted chatter and noise that isn't serving you, making room for new thoughts and ideas that are anchored to the present.
"I’ve found that in creating my own workouts, flows, and exercise programs, I’m not only tapping into my creativeness on my mat, I’m also channeling that creativity in other areas of my life," Greene explained.
According to The New York Times, weightlifting strengthens the heart and improves blood flow to the brain, which can ultimately result in an improved ability to think creatively. I knew having my best ideas at the squat rack wasn't a coincidence.
It makes sense, too: Teresa Liu-Ambrose, a principal investigator at the Brain Research Center at the University of British Columbia, told The New York Times that weightlifting demands a lot of brain power to focus on things like proper form and technique, which, overall, she explained, sharpens your thinking both during and outside the workout, and can thus enhance your ability for creative thinking as a whole.
"Hiking is a wonderful way to add creativity [to] your life," Lauren Larry, a yoga teacher, barre instructor, and health coach, tells Elite Daily over email. "Even the easiest hiking trails have a ton of nature, fresh air, and open space."
According to Larry, there's a lot of symbolism to be found in nature, and that alone can be really inspiring. "Mountains and big hills are an amazing metaphor to life," she explains, "and if you work hard on the way up, you can enjoy the view at the top."
