Why Walking Meetings Matter

The average American now sits approximately 9.3 hours a day.

And sitting has been deemed the new smoking.

We all know that exercise is fantastic for brain function and managing stress. You may not have learned that when your body is physically active, it begins to produce more Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF), which acts as a fertilizer for brain cell development.

Walking for 30 minutes can dramatically improve health and is a simple preventative measure for dementia, breast cancer, colon cancer, and heart disease. Along with health benefits, walking meetings have increased creativity and productivity.

Walking meetings are a great step towards a better workday. A study at Stanford discovered the positive effect walking has on creativity, finding that 81 percent of participants can come up with more ideas after they walk. Additionally, the ideas people develop are more novel and appropriate to the situation.

Walking one-on-one meetings allows you to combine physical activity and social connection during a meeting, leading to increased happiness, creativity, and comradery. Social connections are a huge factor in happiness, which leads to better brain function.

Walking has even increased creativity by about 60%, according to a research report titled “Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking.”

Do you already incorporate walking meetings into your culture? Please share how they have impacted your team.