It was a cool early morning of the winter season. I was excited to start my morning walk. Every day I promised myself that I would start ‘ walking exercise ’ but it never happened. I saw so many people were engaged in this amazing habit but I could never push myself. So that day I was determined to take the golden opportunity!

I got everything ready， my shoes, socks, hand glove, and jacket, etc from the previous night. I didn’t know why 1 felt as if I were going to do some expedition (探险)! I was ready and started walking on the lonely road. The outside temperature seemed to be below 18 degrees. But I enjoyed the fresh air. Probably that day I was the only one who was walking on the road at that time. I think I was too early but anyhow I loved it!

After a few yards were covered, I felt delighted! Huge banyan trees (菩提树) were on both the roadsides. It was so calm and quiet all around except randomly the chirping (鸟鸣) sound of the little birds was repeated in the air. On one side of the road, a small pond was there. Since it was my first walking exercise, I thought to take a little rest just near the bank of the river and then continue. The sun was moving closer to the horizon scattering colors to the sky.

As the sky started shining brightly with beautiful yellow and red light like every day before the sunrise, I left that place and ended my journey furthermore. I thought to myself that the next day I would increase my exercise a little more. I turned and leisurely walked down towards my home.

If a philosopher and a president credited the same secret for their success, would you try to follow it too? What if the secret was something you already knew how to do? 【小题1】 Here’s what Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” Thomas Jefferson: “Walking is the be possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.”

Are you still sitting there reading this? Get walking! It’s not just these two great minds who made a case for it as a prime creativity booster. 【小题2】 A Stanford University study found that participants were 81 percent more creative when walking as opposed to sitting. According to the study, walking outside greatly contributes to the participants doing creative work.

But the scenery is almost as important as the sweat. The National Human Activity Pattern Survey reveals that Americans spend 87 percent of their time indoors. 【小题3】 Being inside, you’re more likely to lack energy. Without energy, you can’t wonder or create. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities.

The movement aspect of walking is obviously key. You’ve probably heard the phrase Exercise you creativity, which refers to the brain as muscle. Our creative mindset is triggered (触发) by physical movement. 【小题4】 Research has shown that being buried in nature, and the corresponding disconnection from multimedia and technology, increased performance on a creative problem-solving task by a full 50 percent in a group of hikers.

【小题5】 Engage more closely with your surroundings for the next few weeks. Turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, to notice the way people move. Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder and creativity.

When watching sports events, we often notice athletes with their earphones on while preparing in the locker room or entering the stadium. They keep their eyes shut, and gently nod along the beats. It seems as if the music is empowering them and toughening them up for the competition. But is there any science behind such practice?

According to a recent research, it turns out there is. Music actually does make us feel powerful, but not all songs have the same effect. The research was led by Dennis Hsu of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in the US. His team had people listen to 31 songs of different types. The listeners felt powerful after listening to some songs, such as Queen’s We Will Rock You and 2 Unlimited’s Get Ready for This. Researchers also found that high-power music made people want to take control in social events and come first in competition. As for the reason for music’s magical power, Hsu’s team came up with one possible explanation: When people hear music that expresses a sense of power, they mimic these feelings in their mind.

So, when choosing music, we need to look at the type of music. In previous research by the Music in Exercise and Sport Group at Brunel University in London, they found that pop was perfect for slower, more repetitive-type tasks. Dance music was found to be best suited to strength and weight training because it’s “fast and rhythmical”. During high-intensity workouts, though, you’d better not listen to rock. Its different changes in tempo can affect your rhythm.