Mindfulness and step tracking boosts motivation to exercise

A new study from the Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change at the University of Bath has found that combining step tracking with mindfulness training delivered via a mobile app can significantly boost people's desire to exercise.

Published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity, the new research suggests that while people step-tracking alone versus those step-tracking alongside a daily mindfulness training course has similar impact on short term physical activity — with everyone exercising more than before the study — those in the mindfulness group did increase their intentions to stay active — a key psychological driver of lasting behaviour change.

Lead researcher Dr Masha Remskar from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath said:

"Our findings show that even short-term mindfulness training combined with step-tracking can make people want to move more, which could have lasting benefits. Helping people build that internal drive towards behaviour is essential — especially at a time when many people are struggling to stay active."

The trial involved 109 adults in England who weren't meeting recommended activity levels. Over 30 days, all participants were asked to aim for 8,000 steps a day using a basic tracker. Half also followed a daily mindfulness program via a mobile app, with short practices focused on body awareness, movement and exercise. The sessions that participants used were created by the research team, in collaboration with the Medito Foundation, and are available through the free mobile application Medito.

By the end of the month, both groups had become more active. On average, participants in the mindfulness group increased their activity by approximately 373 minutes of moderate exercise per week, while those in the steps-only group averaged 297 minutes per week.

Those who used the mindfulness app also reported a significantly stronger intention to keep exercising, which may suggest that a gradual, longer-term change was beginning. However, the current study did not include a longer follow-up period to explore this trend further.

Dr Remskar added:

"Intentions are one of the strongest predictors of future behaviour. What's exciting is that adding a mindfulness component to step-tracking seems to help people mentally commit to being more active — laying the foundation for future behaviour change. We are particularly excited to have worked with a non-profit collaborator, Medito, which means that the mindfulness program is freely available to anyone who wishes to try it for themselves."

Co-author Dr Max Western from the Department for Health at the University of Bath said:

"This is an exciting first study that combines mindfulness training with strategies designed to help people move more and internalise their motivation for physical activity. There is a lot of potential here and we are keen to refine these tools to make them more engaging and effective — especially for people balancing competing demands."

The team is now exploring ways to make mindfulness training more appealing and effective. Future studies will test whether the motivational benefits seen here translate into real-world behaviour over time.

This article was originally published on ScienceDaily Top Health.