Chalk up another benefit attributed to exercise. New research out of the University of Otago suggests regular workouts may help keep you more productive, when it comes to day-to-day tasks.

The findings, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLOS ONE, are based on experiments by the University's Department of Psychology that have shown that, at least for laboratory rats, a once-daily exercise session is sufficient to increase productivity throughout the day, Medical Xpress reports.

Lead researcher Kristin Hillman, M.D., said the rodents who exercised 20 minutes a day had better “problem-solving, persistence, and strategy execution” skills than those who did not exercise.

"We all know exercise is good for our physical and mental health, but this data suggests that regular exercise may also help make you more productive when it comes to getting tasks accomplished each day," Dr. Hillman said.

"Links between exercise and occupational/educational achievement are starting to be noted in humans, but these links are largely correlations and can be riddled with confounding psychosocial factors. These factors include family environment, socio-economic status and personality traits. By using an animal model we obviously eliminate such factors, and are able to demonstrate a causal relationship between regular exercise and generalized industriousness."