Walking is good for your physical and mental health – but could it also make you more creative at work and boost your brand?
Frédéric Gros thinks so. In his new book A Philosophy of Walking, he emphasises the importance of walking to everyone from Nietschze and Rimbaud to Kant and Rousseau.
But you don’t have to be an intellectual to benefit. Walking, says Gros, is not a sport, but a liberation from the pressures of everyday life. And when you feel freer, you work better.
Walk your way to inspiration
The positive effects of walking begin with the physiological: while we walk, the heart pumps faster, circulating blood and oxygen more rapidly to all organs including the brain.
As Ferris Jabr writes in his article on walking for the New Yorker, people perform better in memory and attention tests after even mild exercise, and walking on a regular basis improves brain function.
Keep it green
So if you want to improve your performance at work, make sure to take your daily constitutional – but try to walk where it’s green.
Research shows there’s a difference between taking a walk in an urban environment, and walking in a more natural environment. One study showed that students who walked through an arboretum performed better in a memory test than those who walked through a city.
But a walk through a bustling city is far better than not walking at all.
A new path
Which brings us to a final question: if walking is so good for us, why don’t we do it more? So much commuting is done by car, and we’re so busy that it doesn’t seem worth allowing time for a walk. But the benefits are clear. So perhaps we should make the time and follow a new path – who knows where it might lead?
If you’re short on inspiration – even after that walk – and can’t make your brand content stand out, we can help. Clear Eye is a global brand communications agency based in Dublin. To find out how we can walk you through the steps to develop a clear and effective message, contact Margaret at margaret@cleareye.ie