Walking may help people generate a wider range of ideas, but it is not a proven upgrade for every meeting. Research finds its clearest benefit in divergent thinking—coming up with multiple possibilities—not in evaluating options or choosing one correct answer. Try a walk for open-ended brainstorming; switch to a seated format when the group needs to review documents, take detailed notes, or make a precise decision.
What the evidence says about walking and creativity
The strongest evidence comes from experiments measuring individual creative-thinking tasks, not ordinary workplace meetings. In four experiments published in 2014, Marily Oppezzo and Daniel L. Schwartz found that walking improved divergent ideation during the activity, with some benefit continuing briefly after participants sat down. The tasks included generating unusual uses for everyday objects and a word-association test. The authors also examined outdoor walking and analogy generation. Read the 2014 study or its PubMed abstract.
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A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis by Thabane and colleagues brings together 23 studies from 16 articles, involving 1,036 participants; most were post-secondary students. It found moderate-certainty evidence of a large effect on divergent thinking (d = 0.93; 95% CI 0.44–1.42). For convergent thinking, the estimated effect was small and the evidence very uncertain (d = 0.16; 95% CI −0.31–0.63). These are pooled group-level estimates from creative-thinking studies—not a prediction that a workplace team will get a particular increase in ideas. The review also notes limitations in the underlying research, including study quality and search limitations. Read the 2026 review.
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Divergent thinking means exploring several possible answers. Convergent thinking means narrowing choices, checking details, or arriving at one answer. The 2014 experiments and 2026 review support the former more clearly than the latter. Stanford’s explanation of the 2014 work makes the same distinction: the format that helps people generate ideas need not be the right format for focused evaluation. Read Stanford’s report.
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That makes “better ideas” a narrower claim than “better meetings.” Available findings do not establish that walking meetings generally improve team creativity, productivity, meeting quality, or the decisions teams make.
What direct workplace-meeting studies show
Evidence from meetings themselves is limited and task-specific. A 2023 proof-of-concept study asked 81 same-gender pairs to negotiate a simulated job offer while sitting indoors or walking side by side outside. The walking pairs reported greater mutual liking and lower negative emotions, but walking did not significantly change total negotiation points or mutual trust. Associations with how evenly outcomes were shared differed by gender. A simulated negotiation is not a test of workplace brainstorming, so these results do not show that walking meetings produce more creative ideas. Read the negotiation study.
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Real-world uptake can also be a challenge. In a 2020 workplace feasibility study, employees completed few walking meetings, described practical barriers, and perceived the format as ineffective. Participation was not significantly associated with a change in sitting time; low uptake was one likely factor. This finding describes that study’s setting, not every workplace or every walking meeting. Read the workplace study.
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When a walking meeting is a good fit
A walk is most defensible as an option for open-ended idea generation, rather than as a default for the whole meeting. Stanford’s 2014 report quoted Oppezzo: “This isn’t to say that every task at work should be done while simultaneously walking, but those that require a fresh perspective or new ideas would benefit from it.” That recommendation aligns with the evidence for divergent thinking, but it is not a guarantee of better team outcomes.
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- Try it for: brainstorming, exploring a loosely defined problem, or generating several possible approaches.
- Prefer another format for: detailed document review, extensive writing, careful note-taking, or choosing among options against precise criteria.
- Check the group and route: a small group that can converse comfortably on a familiar, safe route is a more practical fit than a meeting that depends on shared screens, frequent references to materials, or complex turn-taking.
- Keep participation flexible: offer a seated equivalent and do not make walking a condition of joining. People may be unable or unwilling to walk, and the creativity studies do not quantify the access effects of different meeting formats.
How to try one without losing the ideas
The following is practical guidance inferred from the evidence, not a standardized meeting protocol tested in the studies.
- Define the task first. State the open-ended question the group needs to explore. If the goal is to approve a proposal or settle a single correct answer, plan a separate evaluation step.
- Offer a genuine choice of format. Let participants join while walking or use a seated alternative. Make sure either format allows people to contribute to the same discussion.
- Choose a familiar route that supports conversation. Avoid a route that makes it hard to hear, stay together, or focus on the discussion.
- Keep the walk focused on generating options. Capture the options verbally or through a participant who can comfortably take notes, without assuming everyone can write or review documents while moving.
- Record and review ideas as soon as the walk ends. Use a seated follow-up to organize, check, and evaluate what the group generated.
Walking itself is the intervention examined here; the evidence does not establish a need for special equipment or a particular note-taking product.
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Benefits and drawbacks at a glance
| Question | Walking may help when… | A different format may work better when… |
|---|---|---|
| What kind of thinking is needed? | The group needs to generate varied possibilities or a fresh angle. | The group needs to assess evidence, narrow choices, or settle one answer. |
| What does the evidence support? | Individual divergent-thinking tasks show the clearest benefit. | Broad claims about team creativity, productivity, or meeting quality are not established. |
| What does the meeting require? | Conversation can happen comfortably without materials in view. | Participants need shared documents, extensive writing, or detailed notes. |
| Can everyone take part? | Participants can choose a route and pace that work for them. | Walking would exclude or disadvantage someone; provide an equivalent seated option. |
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