Fri, Jun 18 2010
“Bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible,” wrote Shakespeare in Julius Caesar.
Apparently, there is proven logic to Billy’s artistic prose. Over 10 years ago, scientific research found a definite link between exercise and creativity and more recent psychological research has found that bodily movement can enhance innovative thinking.
Joan Price, author of The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book, said, ”We are made to move, not sit at a desk 12 hours a day.” Make your workout work for you by infiltrating it into your schedule — park farther away from the office entrance or get off one subway stop early, take the stairs whenever possible, ask a colleague a question by walking over to their desk instead of sending an email, and try these at-your-desk stretches from WebMD.com:
- Sitting tall in your chair, stretch both arms over your head and reach for the sky. After 10 seconds, extend the right hand higher, then the left.
- Let your head loll over so that your right ear nearly touches your right shoulder. Using your hand, press your head a little lower (gently, now). Hold for 10 seconds. Relax, and then repeat on the other side.
- Try this yoga posture to relieve tension: Sit facing forward, then turn your head to the left and your torso to the right, and hold a few seconds. Repeat 15 times, alternating sides.
- Sitting up straight, try to touch your shoulder blades together. Hold, and then relax.
- You get to put your feet up for this one! To ease the hamstrings and lower back, push your chair away from your desk and put your right heel up on the desk. Sit up straight, and bend forward just until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your leg. Flex your foot for a few seconds, and then point it. Bend forward a little farther, flex your foot again, and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Oh, and that’s not all! The benefits come full circle in a claim by a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin: “Creative activity is non-routine, enjoyable and provides opportunity for learning and for solving problems. People who do that kind of work, whether paid or not, feel healthier and have fewer physical problems.” More specifically, creative expression can strengthen the immune system, release emotions, reduce pain, aid in injury repair, and increase self-esteem.
Although we can’t promise you a life-long clean bill of health (or a hot bod) for your participation at Quirky, it is nice to know that what’s good for us is also good for you. Run around the block, do a little dance, and unleash your inner creative muse. Your body and our community will thank you for it.
