In a world constantly seeking ways to enhance productivity, a recent study suggests that creativity could be sparked by something as simple as walking. The research, delving into the relationship between physical activity and creative ideation, found that both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) movement positively influence creativity. The study provides a fresh perspective on how physical activity impacts not just our health but also cognitive functions related to creativity.

Key Findings on Physical Activity and Creativity

One of the study’s significant insights is the acute effect of walking on creativity. Researchers found that the number of steps taken within five minutes before performing a creative task was linked to increased originality in verbal ideas. This finding builds on earlier work, including a meta-analysis that showed positive effects of both acute and chronic physical activity on creative performance.

Furthermore, individuals who regularly engage in more physical activity—measured by their habitual movement—also showed higher creativity. The results remained significant even after accounting for factors like age, sex, BMI, and employment status. This suggests that there is something uniquely tied to physical activity that enhances creative thinking.

Physical Activity and Positive Affect

The study also explored the connection between walking and positive emotions, known as positive affect, and how they may contribute to creative ideation. Positive affect was associated with better creative performance in both verbal and figural tasks (creative drawings). However, while walking improved participants’ moods, the researchers did not find that positive affect played a crucial role in enhancing verbal creativity. The direct effect of walking on verbal creativity was independent of emotional changes.

That said, feelings of interest and enthusiasm (referred to as positive-interested affect) partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and creativity, particularly in the figural domain. This indicates that while walking might not always make you feel more inspired to generate verbal ideas, it can lead to more original drawings.

Verbal vs. Figural Creativity: Different Paths

Interestingly, while walking directly impacted verbal creativity, the same could not be said for figural creativity. In figural tasks, the study did not find a direct relationship between the number of steps and the originality of drawings. The researchers suggest this could be due to the complexities of assessing visual creativity in everyday settings—drawing on the go, such as while walking through a city, could be more challenging than typing out verbal ideas.

Despite these limitations, the indirect effect of walking through enhanced mood still positively influenced creative drawings, highlighting different cognitive processes behind verbal and figural creativity.

Practical Implications and Limitations

The practical takeaway from this research is that taking short walks before engaging in a creative task could boost performance, particularly in generating unique ideas. While walking may be a simple, accessible way to enhance creativity, the study also emphasizes that its findings are correlational, not causal. This means that although walking and creativity are linked, it’s possible that creative individuals naturally walk more rather than walking directly improving creativity.

The researchers also caution that several technical and behavioral factors could limit the results, such as differences in how participants completed tasks on their personal smartphones. Nonetheless, the study adds a compelling argument for the potential of physical activity as a tool to enhance everyday creativity.

With creativity being vital for innovation and problem-solving, the suggestion that something as simple as walking could enhance creative ideation is both intriguing and hopeful for individuals and industries alike.

Citation(s):

Rominger, C., Fink, A., Weber, B., Schwerdtfeger, A. R., Papousek, I., Perchtold-Stefan, M., & Benedek, M. (2024). Step-by-step to more creativity: The number of steps in everyday life is related to creative ideation performance. American Psychologist, 79(6), 863–875. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001232