For years, writers have understood that walking gets their creative juices flowing.

Current research shows walking supports creative thinking and idea generation.

Moderate-paced walking produces benefits whether you do it indoors or outdoors.

A pleasant stroll keeps our waistline trim and our brain in tip-top shape as well.

Researcher Christian Rominger and teammates determined that walking is linked to more creative verbal thinking, confirming the results of a study done 10 years earlier by Oppezzo and Schwartz, who tied moving to creativity. This is unlikely to surprise anyone who is a fan of author biographies—writers regularly report that they walk to get their creative juices flowing, perhaps to overcome problems with plot or character.

Walking and creative performance

The best sorts of walks are ones that proceed at a pace that’s comfortable for the walker. The work by the Oppezzo and Rominger teams also makes it clear that walks don’t have to be outdoors to boost our creative performance—even a stroll on a treadmill can do the trick—although the idea of strolling across a meadow or a moor does have a certain appeal.

And why shouldn’t it? Being outside, in nature, can be mentally refreshing, and experiencing nature can give our mental performance an extra boost—but the key finding in the two studies noted below is that walking in itself has a powerful effect on what goes on in our minds. These effects continue after a walk comes to an end, whether we are back at our desk or in the armchair where we write.

Making walking part of your routine

The lesson: If creativity is important to you, make sure you have plenty of opportunities to walk. If walking outdoors isn't agreeable to you for one reason or another, add a treadmill to your life. If you’re designing or building a home or a workplace, add an inside walking loop around the core of your building—you’ll be able to walk in any weather, the heat, the cold, or even rain.

Landscape your yard, if you have one, using curving paths and pleasant destinations, such as bird feeders (if you like bird watching) or patches of your favorite plants, which may or may not have sprouted, to encourage yourself to stroll onward.

Although we’re focused on creative thinking, all the calories you burn while walking may result in a physique that you’re proud of, one that also boosts your self-esteem. As your self-esteem is elevated, you’ll also be less likely to be distracted by pesky negative thoughts about yourself as you work towards creative solutions.

When you’re trying to resolve a thorny issue, take a walk and think creatively.

Oppezzo, M. and Schwartz, D. 2014. “Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 1142-1152.

Rominger, C., et al. 2024. “Step-By-Step to more Creativity: The Number of Steps in Everyday Life is Related to Creative Ideation Performance.” American Psychologist, vol. 79, no. 6, pp. 863-875.

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