Actually, on a serious note, I have found a game of blindfold chess to be a great preparation for game play. I would suppose that 30 mins. of puzzle solving would work good too...
This would be promoting mental exercise instead of physical of course.
I find exercise is far more enjoyable than chess, so I avoid the distraction.
I find that if I play without exercising before I win maybe 2 out of 3 games, but when I exercise and get my blood flowing I win 3 out of 3 games.
Wow, winning every game, you must be rated like 3000 or 4000.
I haven't systematically tried excercising right before playing chess. But the most proven way to increase your win percentage is to play lower rated players.
I recently did a half hour's worth of wind sprints, 500 situps, and swam the English Channel, then came back and smoked Kasparov as white in a 19 move Sicilian Wing Gambit beatdown with an epic Queen sac.
This guy's on to something.
I find that I play best after I have done some sort of exercise.
I find that if I play without exercising before I win maybe 2 out of 3 games, but when I exercise and get my blood flowing I win 3 out of 3 games.
Does anyone else do this? Before a tournament go for a run or a walk or a bike or just work out? or before playing at all?
If you haven't tried this I suggest you test it out and tell me how it goes. :)