# How do you run a walking meeting? Canonical: https://zestasy.com/wiki/walking-meetings/ Section: Zestasy Wiki > Movement · Updated: 2026-10-14 · Publisher: Zestasy *Zestasy Wiki: our reference answers. Checked for facts and sources; less curated than the magazine.* Pick a meeting that suits walking, like a one-to-one, a catch-up or a brainstorm, keep it to two or three people, and plan a simple loop that brings you back on time. Agree the purpose before you set off, capture decisions with a quick voice note or a few lines afterwards, and give people the option to stay seated if walking does not suit them. There is something about walking side by side that changes a conversation. You are not staring at each other across a desk, nobody is checking a laptop, and the awkward silences become companionable ones because there is always a tree or a dog to look at. Walking meetings have a reputation as a tech-company quirk, but done well they are simply a nicer way to have certain conversations. Done badly, they are a damp shuffle round a car park with no notes. Here is the good version. ## Choose meetings that suit walking Walking works best for conversations, not documents. - **Good fits:** one-to-ones, mentoring, catch-ups, brainstorming, talking through a tricky decision, a first conversation with a new colleague. - **Bad fits:** anything with slides, spreadsheets or screens; meetings with more than three people; anything that needs careful notes in real time; confidential topics if your route is busy. Some difficult conversations are actually easier on foot, because the side-by-side position feels less confrontational. Our page on [having a difficult conversation](https://zestasy.com/wiki/difficult-conversation/) has more on that. ## Keep it small Two people is ideal; three is manageable. Beyond that, someone ends up walking behind, trying to hear, and the meeting splits into two conversations. If a bigger group needs to walk, plan a standing pause at the end to agree outcomes together. ## Plan the route - **A loop**, so you finish where you started. Out-and-back works too, with a clear turning point. - **Matched to the meeting length.** Walk it once on your own so you know how long it takes at a conversational pace. - **Quiet enough to talk.** Parks, river paths, back streets, a campus. Avoid main roads where you have to shout over buses. - **Accessible.** Level paths, benches along the way and a pace that suits everyone. Ask rather than assume. - **With a halfway point.** A bench with a view or a coffee kiosk gives a natural moment to pause and summarise. ## Set it up properly - **Say it is a walking meeting in the invitation**, so people can bring comfortable shoes and a jacket. - **Offer an alternative.** Some people cannot or would rather not walk, for all sorts of reasons. Make sitting down an easy, unremarkable option. - **Agree the purpose at the start.** "We are deciding X" or "I want your thoughts on Y" keeps the conversation from drifting into weekend plans. Although some drift is part of the charm. - **Check the weather.** Have a plan B for heavy rain. ## Capturing what you decide The most common failure of walking meetings is that nobody writes anything down. Options: - **Pause at the halfway point** and note the key points on your phone. - **Record a quick voice memo** at the end, summarising decisions and next steps, with everyone's agreement. - **Send three lines by message** once you are back at your desk: what we decided, who does what, when. Keep it light. The point of walking is not to replicate a formal meeting outdoors. ## Making it a habit If walking meetings suit your team, make them a regular slot, such as the weekly one-to-one on Thursday afternoon, so they stop being a novelty. They are also one of the simplest ways to add movement to a working day; our piece on [moving more with a desk job](https://zestasy.com/movement/movement-with-a-desk-job/) has other ideas. ## FAQ ### What if I need to look at a document? Share it beforehand so everyone has read it, then use the walk to discuss it. If you truly need to look together, it is a sitting meeting. ### How fast should we walk? At a pace where everyone can talk easily without getting out of breath. It is a meeting, not a race. ### Is it unprofessional? Not if it is well planned and the purpose is clear. Many people find they remember walking meetings better than the ones held in identical rooms. ### Can I do a walking meeting by phone? Yes. Walking while on a call with headphones is a popular version, especially for one-to-ones. Choose a quiet route and mute when crossing roads. ## Related - [How do you fit more movement into a desk job?](https://zestasy.com/movement/movement-with-a-desk-job/) - [Does walking count as exercise?](https://zestasy.com/movement/does-walking-count-as-exercise/) - [How do you turn a city walk into a proper outing?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/walking-in-the-city/) - [How do you take a proper lunch break?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/proper-lunch-break/) - [How do you start a difficult conversation?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/difficult-conversation/) - [All Movement answers in the Wiki](https://zestasy.com/wiki/#movement)