Introduction
Modern office life often involves long periods of sitting, screen use, and scheduled meetings. As individuals and organizations look for practical ways to introduce more movement into the workday, walking meetings have become an alternative to some traditional seated conversations.
The idea is simple: when a meeting does not require a screen, presentation, or extensive documentation, participants talk while walking instead of remaining seated.
Walking meetings can add movement and variety to a workday, and research suggests that walking may support certain forms of creative thinking. However, the evidence does not show that every meeting becomes more productive or creative simply because participants are walking.
Understanding both the potential advantages and the limitations can help determine when a walking meeting makes sense.
What Is a Walking Meeting?
A walking meeting is a professional conversation conducted while participants walk rather than sit around a table or remain on a video call.
These meetings may take place outdoors on a safe pathway or, when appropriate, in an accessible indoor environment.
They are generally most practical for conversations that depend primarily on verbal communication, such as informal check-ins, some one-on-one discussions, or early-stage brainstorming.
Meetings that require detailed documents, presentations, extensive note-taking, or continuous screen access are usually better suited to a traditional setting.
Walking meetings are therefore best considered another meeting format — not a replacement for every seated meeting.
Why Movement During the Workday Matters
Sedentary behavior refers to waking activities involving very low energy expenditure while sitting, reclining, or lying down. Desk-based work is a common example.
Public-health guidance encourages adults to move more and spend less time sedentary. Physical activity can occur in many contexts, including work, transportation, recreation, and everyday routines.
A walking meeting can contribute a small amount of movement to an otherwise sedentary workday.
However, a short walk during a meeting should not be viewed as a substitute for broader physical-activity recommendations. It is simply one opportunity to incorporate movement into daily life.
The value of a walking meeting is therefore not that it provides a complete exercise program, but that it can replace some sitting time with movement when the meeting format allows it.
Walking and Creative Thinking
One of the most frequently cited studies related to walking meetings examined walking and creative thinking rather than workplace meetings themselves.
Researchers Marily Oppezzo and Daniel Schwartz conducted a series of experiments comparing participants' performance while sitting and walking.
The researchers measured particular forms of creative thinking, including divergent thinking — the ability to generate multiple possible ideas or uses for an object.
Across the experiments, walking was associated with stronger performance on several measures of creative ideation. Importantly, the results were not equivalent across every type of cognitive task. (PubMed)
That distinction matters.
The study did not demonstrate that walking improves every type of thinking, nor did it test whether walking makes business meetings, negotiations, financial decisions, or team management universally more effective.
The evidence provides an interesting reason to consider walking when a task involves generating ideas, but it does not establish walking as a universal productivity technique.
Can Walking Meetings Support Focus and Engagement?
Changing from a seated meeting to a walking conversation alters several aspects of the experience at once: participants move, the environment changes, and screens may no longer be central to the discussion.
Some people may find this format more engaging or refreshing, while others may concentrate better while seated.
There is not enough evidence to promise that a walking meeting will reliably increase focus or engagement for every participant.
The usefulness of the format depends on the people involved, the purpose of the meeting, accessibility, the surrounding environment, and whether the conversation actually benefits from being separated from screens and documents.
Rather than assuming that walking is automatically superior, the meeting format should match the task.
When Walking Meetings Work Best
Walking meetings may be worth considering for conversations such as:
One-on-one check-ins that do not require detailed documents
Informal status updates
Early-stage brainstorming
Mentoring conversations
Discussions primarily based on verbal exchange
Meetings where participants would otherwise spend the entire time seated
These are practical examples rather than guarantees of better performance.
A useful question is whether participants can accomplish the purpose of the meeting comfortably without relying on a screen, presentation, or extensive written material.
If the answer is yes, walking may be a reasonable option.
When a Walking Meeting Is Not the Best Choice
Some meetings clearly benefit from a stationary environment.
A walking meeting may not be appropriate for:
Presentations involving slides or demonstrations
Detailed spreadsheet or data analysis
Tasks requiring extensive note-taking
Large group meetings
Conversations requiring a controlled, private environment
Situations where weather, air quality, traffic, or other environmental conditions make walking uncomfortable or unsafe
Any situation where participants would be less comfortable or less able to participate while walking
Confidentiality deserves particular consideration. A public walking route may be inappropriate for sensitive personnel, financial, health, or organizational discussions.
The goal should never be to make every meeting a walking meeting. It is to recognize when walking is a practical alternative.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Walking meetings should always be optional.
People differ in mobility, health, physical capacity, sensory needs, comfort, and personal circumstances. A walking format that feels easy for one person may be difficult or inaccessible for another.
No employee or participant should feel pressured to disclose personal information to justify choosing a seated meeting.
An equivalent seated or otherwise accessible option should be available without penalty or stigma.
Accessibility should also influence route selection. Surfaces, distance, traffic, noise, weather, seating availability, and other environmental factors can affect whether a route is appropriate.
A genuinely flexible meeting culture provides options rather than assuming that one format works for everyone.
Practical Ways to Plan a Walking Meeting
A little planning can make walking meetings easier to manage.
Keep the group manageable.
Walking conversations generally become more complicated as the number of participants increases. Consider whether everyone will be able to hear and participate comfortably.
Choose an appropriate route.
Look for a safe, accessible environment that does not require constant navigation or exposure to heavy traffic.
Define the purpose beforehand.
Participants should know what the conversation needs to accomplish before they begin walking.
Adapt the duration.
There is no universal ideal length for a walking meeting. Choose a duration appropriate for the participants, environment, workload, and purpose of the conversation.
Plan how decisions will be recorded.
Instead of trying to type detailed notes while walking, participants can document decisions and action items after returning to an appropriate workspace.
Avoid unnecessary device use while moving.
A walking meeting works best when participants do not need to continually look at phones, documents, or other screens while navigating their surroundings.
Always provide an alternative.
If someone would rather sit, the meeting should be able to continue in another suitable format.
Walking Meetings and Screen Breaks
Some walking meetings naturally create a period away from computers and video calls because the conversation no longer requires participants to remain in front of a monitor.
That can provide variety during a screen-heavy workday.
However, walking meetings should not be presented as a treatment for digital fatigue, eye problems, or other health concerns.
Their more straightforward advantage is organizational: when a conversation does not require a screen, walking provides one way to conduct it without remaining seated at another workstation or conference table.
A Simple Walking Meeting Framework
Before turning a scheduled conversation into a walking meeting, consider five questions.
Should this meeting be a walking meeting?
Does the discussion primarily depend on conversation rather than screens, documents, or presentations?
Where should it happen?
Is there a safe, accessible, reasonably quiet environment available?
What needs to be discussed?
Can participants clearly establish the purpose before starting?
How will decisions be recorded?
Is there a simple plan for documenting important conclusions and action items afterward?
Does everyone have an equally comfortable alternative?
Can participants choose a seated or otherwise accessible format without having to justify that choice?
If these conditions are met, a walking meeting may be a practical alternative.
Practical Takeaways
Walking meetings can replace some seated meeting time with light movement.
They work best for conversations that do not depend heavily on screens, presentations, or detailed documentation.
Experimental research suggests that walking can support certain forms of creative idea generation, but this does not mean every walking meeting improves creativity or productivity. (PubMed)
Walking meetings do not replace broader physical-activity recommendations. Public-health guidance emphasizes moving more, sitting less, and accumulating appropriate physical activity across the week. (Organização Mundial da Saúde)
Accessibility and personal preference should always come before the meeting format.
There is no need to force every meeting into a walking format.
Conclusion
Walking meetings are a simple alternative to traditional seated discussions when the circumstances are appropriate.
Their strongest case does not depend on exaggerated claims about productivity or neuroscience. Walking can add some movement to a sedentary workday, and experimental research provides evidence that it can support particular forms of creative ideation. But those findings should not be interpreted as proof that walking improves every conversation or cognitive task.
A practical approach is to match the format to the purpose.
For a conversation that requires screens, detailed documentation, privacy, or a format that better accommodates participants, sitting may be the better choice. For a small, conversation-focused meeting where everyone is comfortable walking, stepping away from the desk can be a useful option.
SOURCES
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition — PubMed
Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking
PubMed — official study record
Stanford Graduate School of Education
Walking Helps Get the Creative Juices Flowing, New Study Finds
Stanford — study overview
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Adult Activity: An Overview
CDC — official physical activity guidance
World Health Organization (WHO)
Physical Activity
WHO — official fact sheet