Walking spaces, places where we can perambulate about, inside or outside, can affect our brains as positively as our waistlines—and the mental effects of our strolls linger after we stop walking.
Walks that are good for our heads don’t need to be outside in lovely natural venues, although being in nature while walking has a special appeal because it can be mentally refreshing.
After walking, even briefly, wherever we are, our cognitive performance improves, as it does while we’re actually walking. Our ability to remember things gets a particular boost, as does our creativity. We’re more talkative when we’re walking, which can obviously be a plus or a minus—but the research does suggest that a walk may be a way to start or improve a dialogue that might otherwise be stilted or not happen at all.
Creating places to walk indoors has a lot of pluses as indoor walks aren’t linked to weather conditions, although they do require what may be quite expensive real estate. Indoor walks can be nearly as idyllic as outdoor ones if properly planned, with nature art, natural light, and plants along their routes, for example. Art along a walk can also do things like remind walkers of organizational values and culture. Signage won’t be required to get people walking, people know a good walk when they see it, but clearly indicating a walk route, perhaps with some sort of distinctive walking surface, such as hardwood, can be useful. Niches that walkers can tuck into, if a conversation takes a turn and a writing or drawing surface is required, for instance, can be a plus. Walker wellbeing can be compromised, however, by trip hazards and steps (up or down), for example. Walks through or near places for focused work can result in some angry stares at people walking and talking. Also, if longish walks are built into a structure, say to or from a company cafeteria, it’s important to make sure there are quick-travel alternate routes for those who just aren’t ready on any particular day to walk any further than they have to (in any crowd, there’s always someone getting over a broken ankle, for example).
Building for inside walking can be as good for the mental performance and wellbeing of people ambling along as it is for their physical health.