Walking Boosts Productivity and Creative Thinking

We know that walking improves your circulatory health and can help you lose weight. It also seems boosts your creative thinking and productivity during the work day. But is working all day on a treadmill desk the answer to improving our job performance?

(Photo Credit: Bev Goodwin/Flickr)

Treadmills

Forbes discusses a new study that found working at treadmill desks boosts job performance. Rather than exhausting workers with too much activity, working at a treadmill desk at a slow two miles per hour increased their productivity and performance on the job. It is important to note that workers needed a time to get into the new routine and get used to using the treadmill, but after four to six months, the observable improvements were consistent and striking.

Creative Thinking

Stanford recently published a study (April, 2014) that found people’s creative thinking improved by a full 60 percent during walking as well as for a short time afterward. Therefore, if you don’t have a treadmill at your desk, you may still take advantage of these benefits. Go for a walk on your break or your lunch break, and you will enjoy increased creative thinking for a while after you return.

For many workers, the ability to think creatively may boost their productivity at work because they are more likely to see solutions to problems. They also may find themselves noticed by upper management because of their ability to do so.

Sitting

Sitting down is not all bad. Medical News Today reports that while walking increases creativity, it does not improve focused thinking — just the opposite. If you are trying to concentrate, walking may decrease your ability to do so.

Therefore, it seems striking a balance is best for optimal job performance. Take a walk, get the creative juices flowing, then come back to sit and focus on the task at hand. You may find you work more efficiently and are more productive after taking a walk.

Tell Us What You Think

Do you take a walk on your breaks at work? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.