Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014) • Hacker News Board

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#181

Post by haritha-j » Tue, May 26, 2026, 1:38 PM UTC

stego-tech wrote: post #42

I was a doubter until COVID. Then I built a habit of 30 to 60+ minutes of walking a day, ~1.5 to 5mi depending on length and pace. Geez , the amount of stuff I got done, problems I solved, and general boost to well-being I achieved was lost on me until a job pushed those walks out of the workday. My productivity wasn’t the same. Definitely going to block off a walk around the harbor during most workdays going forward…

Did you do it in the middle of the work day, or at the begining?

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#182

Post by m0llusk » Tue, May 26, 2026, 1:39 PM UTC

What about the whole idea came together in the shower thing? Would be interesting to see comparable data for showering.

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#183

Post by j45 » Tue, May 26, 2026, 1:41 PM UTC

This is absolutely true. Try taking a meeting or call about problem solving on a walk.

I was not a believer in this, Covid walks using an iPad mini with a SIM card was great.

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#184

Post by accrual » Tue, May 26, 2026, 1:43 PM UTC

perarneng wrote: post #147

Keyframe wrote: post #143

Hear me out. One of the better things I did for myself. Electric standing desk (IKEA idasen, it's cheap and good), samsung ultrawide oled 49, and a small walking pad. Walking pad is like a treadmill, but small so I can easily put it aside and I can switch between sitting and standing and walking and I do all three during the day. It doesn't need much space even. I also have two chairs, one regular (also ikea, marcus…

"a small walking pad" - which one did you end up buying and are you happy with it or secretly wished you would have bought a different one?

I had one briefly but I think it's important to think through the logistics of using it. Even the small ones are somewhat heavy and cumbersome. I ended up returning mine because it was too much of a pain to set something up and tear it down just to get steps in. Maybe different if one has a dedicated place for it.

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#185

Post by garyrob » Tue, May 26, 2026, 1:47 PM UTC

I get that effect while walking, but also from multi-hour highway (not local) driving when the road isn't crowded. Somehow, having my body do something that takes only a slight amount of continuous awareness, but not zero, seems to enable me to escape mental ruts more easily. For me, it allows for deeper concentration in the creative realm than I can have while sitting.

Friedrich Nietzsche: "Only thoughts reached by walking have value."

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#186

Post by cindyllm » Tue, May 26, 2026, 1:50 PM UTC

[dead]

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#187

Post by velcrovan » Tue, May 26, 2026, 1:52 PM UTC

garyrob wrote: post #185

I get that effect while walking, but also from multi-hour highway (not local) driving when the road isn't crowded. Somehow, having my body do something that takes only a slight amount of continuous awareness, but not zero, seems to enable me to escape mental ruts more easily. For me, it allows for deeper concentration in the creative realm than I can have while sitting. Friedrich Nietzsche: "Only thoughts reached by…

David Gelernter describes a theory of consciousness and creativity that explains why this works in his book “The Muse in the Machine”. I recommend it to everyone.

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#188

Post by thefz » Tue, May 26, 2026, 1:57 PM UTC

ionwake wrote: post #123

Im not sure if Im being old and grumpy but why isnt this obvious?

In this same forum I have read someone stating that if it was possible to distill the benefits of exercise in a pill they would consume it, so I would not take for granted anything related to exercise (or diet) with these folks.

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#189

Post by systemnate » Tue, May 26, 2026, 2:04 PM UTC

I used to go home during lunch every day to let my dog out. Many days, I was so busy that it seemed like a super chore that would really put me behind. But, it's insane how many insights I had and problems I solved when I forced myself to step away for a bit and do something else. Oddly, now that I work from home, and probably have more time to step away for 10-15 minutes, I do it less. Good reminder to start doing this more!

Re: Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds (2014)

#190

Post by mym1990 » Tue, May 26, 2026, 2:04 PM UTC

I think walking for around an hour at a time, with no music/earbuds, can be extremely enlightening. I find the first 15-25 minutes my brain is doing like a “cleaning” cycle almost where I think about very surface level things, and then once that is out of the way, my brain just goes on wild explorations of ideas.

I do see more and more that people are either afraid to be with their own thoughts, or don’t know that it is even an option given the amount of technology around.