Divergent thinking and homolateral interlimb coordination among Mindful Movement practitioners.

Divergent thinking (DT) is positively affected by aerobic exercise. Coordinative training also benefits cognitive functioning, but its association with DT is in need of research. Among different types of coordination-demanding physical activity, Mindful Movements (MMs) practices are specific types of training that can have a join impact on DT and interlimb coordination. A mixed observational study design was adopted to investigate whether (1) the extensive practice of MMs is associated with functional adaptations of DT and interlimb coordination efficiency, and (2) there is a relationship between these two variables. Thirty-four healthy adults volunteered, including 11 Aikido (AIK) and 9 advanced Quadrato Motor Training (aQMT) practitioners, and 14 physically non-active controls (CTR). While no group differences in terms of DT emerged, aQMT practitioners had significantly better coordinative performance compared to both AIK and CTR groups. In addition, a significant correlation between DT and left in- phase (LIP) interlimb coordination was found only for aQMT. In conclusion, QMT is a unique form of mindful movement training that might promote not only motor coordination, but also intriguing alignments of it with divergent thinking. Future interventional research is warranted together with a neuroscientific approach for investigating the neural correlates of this association.