7 . Walking has been considered as one of the best possible exercises. For many people, daily walking offers massive and long-term physical and mental benefits. 1 A Stanford University study found that participants were more creative when walking as opposed to sitting.
2 You’ve probably heard the phrase “exercise your creativity”. Our creative mindset is triggered by physical movement, which is exactly why walking with your dog, a friend, or alone feeds creative thinking.
But the scenery is almost as important as the sweat. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities. You can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood. 3 Even when you walk down a busy street, you can’t help but get distracted by the sweet smells from a food cart or the child pointing to a building you haven’t even noticed before.
Walking outside cultivates our ability to collect new ideas and take in new sights, sounds, smells, and flavors. Shinrin-yoku, a common form of relaxation in Japan, suggests that being in the forest and walking among the trees there can lower your stress levels. 4 Research has shown that immersion in nature around your neighborhood or the disconnection from multimedia increased performance on a creative problem-solving task.
So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking outdoors? 5 For example, you can turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, and to notice the way people move and the way the sun reflects in a lake.
Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder.
| A．Unfortunately, you often fail to do it. |
| B．Engage more closely with your surroundings. |
| C．The movement aspect of walking is obviously key. |
| D．Without enough energy, you cannot wonder or create. |
| E．But to receive the benefits, you do not have to live in a forest. |
| F．This habit, however, isn’t just a beneficial pursuit but an element of innovation. |
| G．Alternatively, you can wander around a park and observe people relaxing or birds singing. |
