Why does my brain work better when I’m cycling?

I know Sir Richard Branson has spoken about this, and while I can’t put myself in the same financial league (beyond perhaps having the same bike), I can absolutely agree with him on one point: movement unlocks the mind.

For me, exercise, especially cycling, seems to open up parts of my brain that remain dormant in the office. It’s not just physical activity; it’s a mental shift. Ideas start flowing. Problems I’ve been wrestling with suddenly look different. Creative sparks appear from nowhere. It’s as though the motion itself dislodges new ways of thinking.

And it’s not just cycling. I get similar flashes of insight when I cut the grass. There’s something powerful about that space, where the body is busy, the mind is free, and the noise of daily demands fades. I find it’s the perfect time to reflect, sort through challenges, and, more often than not, land on a solution or a new perspective.

That time is sacred. It’s productive without pressure. It’s where I do some of my best strategic thinking.

I often wonder whether we underestimate the value of unstructured thought in leadership. For those of us constantly making decisions, managing people, and juggling complex demands, it’s easy to believe every breakthrough must happen at a desk or in a meeting room. But some of the most valuable clarity comes when we stop trying so hard to find it.

In fact, when a good idea strikes mid-ride or halfway through mowing the lawn, I’ll either build a way to remember it, a mental marker, a phrase, a story or I’ll stop and quickly make a note. It’s not a perfect system, but it works (most of the time).

Still, I’m always curious, how do you capture your best ideas when they come at the least convenient moments? I’d love to hear what works for others. There’s always room to improve the process.

#LeadershipClarity #HighPerformanceThinking #ExecutiveCoaching #IdeasInMotion #CyclingThoughts #MindOnTheMove #ClarityMoments