Instead of cooping your colleagues up in the boardroom, a great and healthy alternative is to take a walking meeting. Step outside or walk around the building. The exercise might encourage a fresh perspective.

A walking meeting takes place during a walk instead of in an office, boardroom, or coffee shop.

Like many people who sit way too much while working. It may be beneficial to trade your coffee shop meetings for walking meetings and immediately see the benefits.

Surveys have shown that a population of approximately 150 working adults in the U.S. to gather input about their walking meeting and work habits. It found that those who participate in walking meetings are 5.25% more likely to report being creative at their jobs than those who do not. Additionally, the responses suggest that walking meetings support cognitive engagement, or focus, on the job. Those who participate in walking meetings are 8.5% more likely to report high levels of engagement.

Is an increase in the creativity of 5.25% likely to make or break a business?

Most likely not. However, look at these findings through the lens of a cost-benefit analysis. The costs associated with regularly participating in walking meetings are next to nil. Keep in mind that walking meetings are not breaks from work. They are meetings that would have taken place regardless of whether they were held in someone’s office or while walking around your office complex. There may be no cheaper way to achieve moderate increases in creativity and engagement.

Try it – book your next meeting as a walking meeting and enjoy the fresh air