For instance, a study led by Arizona State University psychology professor Arthur Glenberg found that arm movements can affect language comprehension. Children are more likely to solve mathematics problems if they are told to gesture with their hands as they think through the problem. Another line of research has found that unconscious eye movements help people solve certain kinds of brainteasers.
Body actions also seem to subtly shape preferences over time. Expert typists, when told to name their favorite two-letter combinations from a random selection, picked out easy-to-type couplets, but couldn’t give a reason why they preferred them.
The source for the above (there’s more if you follow the link) is Don’t just stand there, think from The Boston Globe.