3 . If a president and a philosopher credited the same secret for their success. would you try to follow it too? What if the secret was something you already knew how to do? In fact, you probably do it every day. Here's what Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth." Thomas Jefferson: “Walking is the best possible exercise.”

It's not just the two great minds who made a case for it as a prime creativity booster. Researchers have traced numerous connections between walking and generating ideas. A Stanford University study found that participants were 81 percent more creative when walking as opposed to sitting. You've probably heard the phrase Exercise your creativity, which refers to the brain as muscle. 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. The National Human Activity Pattern Survey reveals that Americans spend 87 percent of their time indoors. Being inside, you will be less energetic. Without energy, you can't wonder or create. Interrupting your routine with a walk can afford you fresh insights into problems or projects. 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. When you can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood or down a busy street, you can't help but get distracted by the child pointing to a building you haven't even noticed before

Our brains work harder to process in different environments, so walking outside fosters our ability to glean new ideas. Research has shown that immersion (沉浸） in nature, and the corresponding disconnection from multimedia and technology, increased performance on a creative problem-solving task by a full 50 percent in a group of hikers.

So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking? Engage more closely with your surroundings. Turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, to notice the way people move,the way the sun reflects in a pond. Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder.

5 . The dangers of sitting all day are obvious. Researchers have shown that remaining sitting for extended periods of time (like at your 9-to-5 desk job) can do harm to your health. While exercise is a big part of reducing the harmful effects of sitting, it was unclear how many gym periods were needed to help – until now.

A new study, published in The Lancet, shows the ideal formula for reducing the negative effects of a sedentary（久坐的）job. Instead of a fixed number of hours spent exercising, the ratio（比率）depends on how much you sit: people who work a typical eight-hour day should spend at least one hour each day moving. If you sit six hours a day, you should spend half an hour exercising. The research also indicates that the exercise doesn’t have to be all once – or rigorous（严格的）. It can be spread throughout the day and be as simple as walking.

The team behind the study analyzed data from a pool of a million adults over the age of 45 in Western Europe, the United States, and Australia. Using previous data, the researches examined data from 16 published studies and used it to determine how much exercise is required to compensate for sitting. Their recommended daily exercise goal is higher than previous advice but not necessarily less achievable, given it can be completed throughout the day.

Fitting in an hour of exercise a day sounds especially discouraging if you have a desk job, but there are plenty of workouts you can complete before and after work. Even if it means taking a 10-minute walk during lunch, your body will thank you in the long run.