What types of meetings work best as walking meetings?

One-on-one conversations, brainstorming sessions, and informal check-ins work best. Meetings that require screen-sharing, note-taking, or large groups are better suited to traditional settings. The sweet spot is two to three people discussing ideas or making decisions.

How do I suggest a walking meeting without seeming odd?

Frame it around the benefits: "I have been finding that I think more clearly when I walk — would you be open to doing this meeting as a walking meeting?" Most people are receptive, especially if you suggest it for an informal conversation rather than a formal presentation.

What about remote or phone meetings?

Walking meetings work beautifully for phone calls. Use earbuds with a microphone and walk during your call. Many remote workers find this is the easiest way to add movement to their day. Just be mindful of background noise and choose a quiet route.

How long should a walking meeting be?

Twenty to thirty minutes is ideal. This is long enough for a substantive conversation and translates to about one to one-and-a-half miles of walking. Longer meetings can work but may become tiring or make it difficult to take notes on key decisions.

Does walking actually improve creativity?

Yes. A 2014 Stanford study found that walking increased creative output by an average of 60 percent compared to sitting. The effect persisted even after participants sat back down, suggesting that walking primes the brain for creative thinking rather than just providing a momentary boost.

The Case for Walking Meetings

Steve Jobs was famous for his walking meetings. So were Aristotle, Charles Dickens, and Beethoven. For centuries, thinkers and leaders have intuited that walking and thinking go together. Modern research confirms what they knew instinctively: moving your body changes how your brain works.

I started doing walking meetings five years ago, almost by accident. A colleague and I had a 30-minute one-on-one scheduled, and the weather was beautiful, so I suggested we walk instead of sitting in a conference room. The conversation was noticeably better — more candid, more creative, more productive. We started walking for every one-on-one meeting after that, and I have been an evangelist for the practice ever since.

The Science Behind Walking and Thinking

In 2014, researchers at Stanford published a study that put numbers to what walkers have always felt. They tested creative thinking in four conditions: sitting indoors, walking on an indoor treadmill, sitting outdoors, and walking outdoors. The results were striking.

Walking increased creative output by an average of 60 percent compared to sitting. The effect was consistent across different types of creative tasks and was present both indoors (on a treadmill) and outdoors. Interestingly, the creative boost persisted even after participants sat back down, suggesting that walking primes the brain for divergent thinking.

Other research has found that walking increases blood flow to the brain by 15 to 20 percent, stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and reduces activity in the default mode network — the brain region associated with rumination and self-referential thinking. In simpler terms: walking helps you think more clearly and worry less.

Why Walking Meetings Work Better Than Sitting Meetings

Reduced Hierarchy

In a conference room, someone sits at the head of the table. There are power dynamics embedded in the furniture arrangement. Walking side by side removes these cues. The conversation becomes more egalitarian, which often leads to more honest communication. I have had team members share concerns during walking meetings that they never would have raised in a conference room.

No Screen Distractions

In a sitting meeting, there is always a laptop, a phone, or a monitor competing for attention. Walking meetings eliminate these distractions by default. Both people are present, looking ahead, thinking out loud. The conversation quality improves because neither person is multitasking.

Built-In Time Limit

A walking meeting has a natural structure: you walk out, you turn around, you walk back. This creates a physical time boundary that prevents meetings from dragging on indefinitely. A 20-minute walking route means a 20-minute meeting, and in my experience, 20 focused minutes of walking conversation accomplish more than 60 minutes in a conference room.

Movement Adds Energy

Sitting in a meeting room after lunch is a recipe for drowsiness. Walking keeps your blood flowing, your brain alert, and your energy stable. The post-lunch meeting slump that everyone dreads simply does not happen when you are moving.

When Walking Meetings Work (And When They Do Not)

Walking meetings are ideal for:

One-on-one check-ins: The side-by-side dynamic makes these more natural and candid.
Brainstorming sessions: The creativity boost from walking directly supports idea generation.
Difficult conversations: Walking reduces confrontational energy. Looking ahead rather than directly at each other makes tough topics easier to discuss.
Problem-solving: When you are stuck on a problem, walking often shakes loose a solution that sitting and staring at a screen cannot.

Walking meetings are not ideal for:

Meetings requiring screen-sharing or visual materials
Large group meetings (more than 3 people becomes difficult to coordinate)
Meetings that require detailed note-taking or documentation
Formal presentations or reviews

How to Implement Walking Meetings

Start with One Per Week

Do not try to convert all your meetings at once. Pick one recurring one-on-one meeting that does not require a screen and suggest walking instead. Choose someone you are comfortable with — this is easier to introduce with a trusted colleague than a new client.

Plan Your Route

Scout a route near your office or home that takes about 20 to 30 minutes at a comfortable pace. Ideally, it should be relatively quiet (not next to a busy highway), have a clear turnaround point, and be on even terrain. A loop works best so you end where you started.

Handle Notes and Follow-Ups

The biggest objection to walking meetings is "but I need to take notes." Here are three solutions:

Use a voice memo on your phone to capture key decisions as you walk
Send a brief summary email to the other person within 30 minutes of returning — the conversation will be fresh
Keep a small notebook in your pocket for essential items (a single word or phrase is usually enough to trigger the full memory later)

Remote Walking Meetings

If you work remotely, walking meetings work brilliantly for phone calls. Pop in your earbuds and walk during the call. I do this for at least two calls per day, and it adds 40 to 60 minutes of walking to my day without requiring any additional time. The other person usually cannot tell you are walking unless you tell them.

The Health Benefit You Get for Free

Here is the part I love most: walking meetings add significant daily movement without requiring dedicated exercise time. If you convert just two 30-minute meetings per week to walking meetings, you add an hour of moderate physical activity to your week — meeting the recommended baseline for cardiovascular health while doing something you were going to do anyway.

Most adults struggle to find time for exercise. Walking meetings solve this by merging movement with work. You do not need to carve out extra time. You just redirect time you were already spending in meetings toward a healthier format.

Try one walking meeting this week. Pick your simplest, most informal meeting and take it outside. Notice how the conversation flows, how you feel afterward, and how much you accomplish. I suspect you will be converting more meetings before the month is out.