---
title: "Mindfulness and Step-Tracking Improve Physical Activity Intentions"
description: "**Source:** University of Bath | Journal of Mental Health and Physical Activity **Overview:** A recent UK-based study has demonstrated that incorporating daily mindfulness practices alongside step-tracking can significantly boost long-term motivation for physical activity. **Key Findings:** - **Study Group:** 109…"
url: "https://walx.co.uk/knowledge/clinical-evidence-research/mindfulness-and-step-tracking-improve-physical-activity-intentions"
updated: "2025-08-07"
category: "Clinical Evidence & research"
---

# Mindfulness and Step-Tracking Improve Physical Activity Intentions

**Source:** University of Bath | Journal of Mental Health and Physical Activity

**Overview:** A recent UK-based study has demonstrated that incorporating daily mindfulness practices alongside step-tracking can significantly boost long-term motivation for physical activity.

**Key Findings:**

- **Study Group:** 109 adults in England who were not meeting recommended activity levels.
- **Method:** All participants used basic step trackers and aimed for 8,000 steps per day over a 30-day period.
- **Intervention Group:** Half of the participants also completed short daily mindfulness sessions focused on body awareness, movement, and exercise, delivered via the free Medito mobile app.

**Results:**

- **Activity Increase:**
  - Mindfulness group: +373 minutes/week of moderate activity
  - Step-tracking only group: +297 minutes/week
- **Intention to Continue:**
  - Participants in the mindfulness group reported a stronger desire to continue exercising long-term.

**Interpretation:**

- Mindfulness promotes internal motivation and behaviour change.
- Daily mindfulness, even short-term, enhances mental commitment to physical activity.
- Step-tracking alone boosts short-term activity, but mindfulness adds sustainable behavioural impact.

**Expert Insight:** Dr. Masha Remskar, lead researcher from the Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change at the University of Bath, emphasized:

> "Helping people build that internal drive towards behaviour is essential. Adding mindfulness seems to help people mentally commit to being more active – laying the foundation for future behaviour change."

**Next Steps in Research:**

- Exploring methods to increase appeal and effectiveness of mindfulness training.
- Long-term follow-ups to measure sustained behaviour change.

**Relevance to WALX:** This research supports the integration of mindfulness techniques into walking and Total Body Walking programmes. The WALX model could adopt brief mindfulness practices into sessions to:

- Increase participant engagement
- Support behaviour change
- Improve mental and physical wellbeing

**Study Reference:** "Getting Active through Mindfulness: Randomised controlled trial of a digital mindfulness-based intervention promoting physical activity engagement and enjoyment" — Journal of Mental Health and Physical Activity.

**App Used:** Medito (free mindfulness app)

**Note:** Dr. Remskar was a research officer at the Medito Foundation (Jan 2022–Jan 2023) and is currently on its Scientific Advisory Board (since Sep 2021).