A team of researchers at the University ofIllinois in Urbana-Champaign has just given a new significance to the ancient Greek ideal mens sana in corpore sano.

Dr. Chuck Hillman and colleagues recently reported at the annual meeting of the Society of Psychophysiological Research in Montreal, Canada, that it’s true —creating a strong, healthy body throughexercise can help lead directly to a strong,healthy mind.

In the study, the researchers, using anelectroencephalogram (EEG), measured the thinking ability of 20 men and women asked to perform a computer test before and 30 minutes following intense treadmill running.

According to Dr. Hillman, exercising increased the speed of the decision-making process by an average of 35 milliseconds — quite a significant improvement as far as brain activity goes, he says.

What’s more, study participants answered test questions more accurately after exercise than they did when they had not exercised.