Jog Your Brain

Great Minds, Fit Bodies

• Benjamin Franklin was a fitness buff centuries before it was cool. He swam daily in the Thames while living in London, wowing passersby with his moves. He was posthumously inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
• Marie and Pierre Curie. Using money from a wedding present, the Nobel Prize-winning duo bought bikes and took long, adventurous rides.
• Albert Einstein loved meandering walks around Munich. Later, he took up sailing. When the wind died down, he would take out his math notebook.
• Gary Kasparov is a gym rat and a mental giant. He has credited his physical fitness with boosting his chess prowess.

A Smarter Workout

• Let Your Mind Wander. Pick a sport—such as biking or swimming—in which your mind can wander. Great insights aren't likely to come from activities such as alpine skiing or rock climbing, where a mistake could break bones.
• Be Patient. Don't expect instant results, especially if you're a beginner. Jumping too quickly into a rigorous regimen, such as step aerobics or distance running, is not only dangerous, it may also leave you too tired for expansive thinking.
• Carve Out Ample Time. Exercise long enough for both your mind and body to relax.
• Make It a Habit. Weekend warriors may not get much benefit. Rats learn mazes better with every-other-day exercise than with twice-weekly workouts.
• Unplug Yourself. Creative juices are unlikely to flow if you need the TV or an iPod to distract you. If you do use music, pick something that allows you to hear your own thoughts.
• Go Solo. A chatty running partner may stymie creative insights.