Mindfulness & Step Tracking: Boost Exercise Motivation
- Combining step tracking with mindfulness exercises can significantly increase a person's motivation to exercise, according to a new study from the University of Bath.
- The study revealed that while both step tracking alone and step tracking combined with mindfulness increased physical activity, the mindfulness group showed a greater commitment to maintaining an...
- Masha Remskar, lead researcher from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, emphasized the importance of fostering internal motivation.
Boost your exercise motivation with mindfulness! A new study reveals that combining step tracking with mindfulness training significantly increases the desire to stay active, fostering a stronger commitment to long-term exercise. Researchers found that participants integrating daily mindfulness exercises with their step-tracking routines increased their physical activity more than those using step tracking alone. This innovative approach, detailed in Mental Health and Physical Activity, involves a free mindfulness program, a key to building intrinsic motivation. News Directory 3 is excited to share this study’s findings. Discover how short-term mindfulness training can make a lasting impact. Learn more about the study—what steps comes next?
Mindfulness Training Boosts Exercise Intentions, Study Shows
updated June 04, 2025
Combining step tracking with mindfulness exercises can significantly increase a person’s motivation to exercise, according to a new study from the University of Bath. the research, published in *Mental Health and Physical Activity*, explored the impact of integrating mindfulness training into daily step-tracking routines.
The study revealed that while both step tracking alone and step tracking combined with mindfulness increased physical activity, the mindfulness group showed a greater commitment to maintaining an active lifestyle. This increased intention to stay active is a crucial factor in long-term behavior change, researchers said.
Dr. Masha Remskar, lead researcher from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, emphasized the importance of fostering internal motivation. “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,” Remskar said. “Helping people build that internal drive towards behavior is essential — especially at a time when many people are struggling to stay active.”
The trial involved 109 adults in England who were not meeting recommended activity levels. Participants were divided into two groups: one group used a basic step tracker to aim for 8,000 steps daily, while the other group combined step tracking with a daily mindfulness program delivered through the Medito mobile app. The mindfulness sessions, created in collaboration with the Medito Foundation, focused on body awareness, movement, and exercise.
After a month, both groups showed increased activity levels. The mindfulness group increased their activity by approximately 373 minutes of moderate exercise per week, compared to 297 minutes per week in the steps-only group. Moreover, the mindfulness group reported a stronger intention to continue exercising.
“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,” Dr. Remskar said.
Dr.Max Western, co-author from the Department for Health at the University of Bath, highlighted the potential for refining these tools. “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,” Western said. “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.”
What’s next
The research team plans to further investigate methods to enhance the appeal and effectiveness of mindfulness training. Future studies will assess whether the motivational benefits observed in this study translate into sustained real-world behavior over extended periods.The Economic and Social Research council funded this study.