The researchers used a psychology test to identify students who expressed a strong desire to think a lot, and those who were more keen to avoid things which were mentally taxing.
All of the participants in the study were then fitted with fitness trackers, which monitored how much they exercised over seven days.
The study showed that people with high intelligence were far less active between Monday to Friday than those of lesser intelligence. Researchers were stumped concerning why there was no difference over the weekend.
Since the sample size and time period of the study was small, the researchers say they will require further tests to conclusively prove the correlation.
“Ultimately, an important factor that may help more thoughtful individuals combat their lower activity levels is awareness of their tendency to be less active, coupled with the cost associated with inactivity,” said researcher Tom McElroy.