Today’s To-Do: Walk Off Your To-Do List

Go for a Walk While Doing a Simple Task

Think back to the last time you faced a mental block when trying to get something done. Were you sitting at your kitchen table, head in your hands? Pacing back and forth in the cluttered room at home (you know the one we’re talking about)? Staring out the window, hoping for inspiration to strike, and your inclination to procrastinate to dwindle away?

The beauty of the smartphone is that it allows you to take notes, make lists, schedule appointments in your calendar, and make phone calls from anywhere. Yet too often we sit on the couch or hunched over a desk doing all these things. The next time you’re working on a relatively low-stakes task and need a brain boost—and a change of scenery—consider taking a walk.

• Get your steps in as you mull over your grocery list for the week 📝
• Hit the trail at your local park while you think through how to solve a problem at work 💡
• Make your doctor’s appointment while taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood 🩺

The Science: A study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex suggests that young, healthy individuals may improve cognitive performance on tasks while walking, as the movement may increase flexibility and efficiency in the brain.

Quick Tip: Note that study participants were asked to complete relatively simple tasks while walking, so it may be best if you save the complicated tasks for a place and time where you can maintain total focus.