From reduced anxiety and improved mood to a boost in self-esteem and better cognitive function, the mental health benefits of exercise are extensive. But according to a new study, there could be a way to squeeze even more benefits out of your workout routine – and it doesn’t require any new gear to get started.

The research, published in the journal Mental Health And Physical Activity, suggests that combining physical activity with mindfulness meditation could be more effective for improving wellbeing than implementing either approach in isolation.

The findings indicate that mindfulness could help us to ‘unlock’ the full mental health benefits of exercise by helping to boost motivation levels and equip us with the tools to overcome minor pain, discomfort and feelings of failure – all of which can lead us to stop exercising altogether and miss out on the benefits for our wellbeing. 

The review of pre-existing studies was carried out by a team from the University of Bath with support from the Medito Foundation, a mindfulness non-profit which aims to help more people reap the benefits of the practise. Based on the findings, the team at Medito have even created and released the first of two audio mindfulness courses aimed at helping people to build an exercise habit, which you can access via its app now.

“Mindfulness is an approach that can help us to ‘train up’ the psychological strengths we need to exercise and be more in tune with our bodies, as well as make exercise more interesting and help us recognise the benefits,” the study’s lead author, psychologist Masha Remskar, said about the results of the research.

“This may be because becoming more mindful prompts us to think differently about our lifestyle and makes us more accepting and less judgemental of our own shortcomings, which can help to build healthy habits.” 

Medito’s ‘Getting Active’ course is a great place to start if you’re trying to get active for the first time, as it allows you to listen to the meditations before getting up and moving.

The study itself doesn’t suggest exactly when you should do mindfulness meditation in regards to exercise – simply that you do both on a regular basis. The team behind the study are actually planning on doing a follow-up to look at the “optimal intervention moments” for combining the two, so more on that later.

What we’ve discovered here at Strong Women, however, is that mindfulness meditation can work brilliantly as a kind of mental warm-up alongside your more traditional dynamic stretches and heart rate-raising moves.

It’s also possible to use mindfulness to boost the mental health benefits of exercise while you’re moving. Yoga, for example, places emphasis on being present and in the moment, while trends such as mindful running and awe walking are also a great way to incorporate the two. The key to getting started is turning your attention towards what’s going on in the here and now – rather than all the worries that are floating around your mind.

That might mean, for example, paying attention to any physical sensations in your body (Is there any tension? Where is that tension located? Does it feel better or worse when you move?) or looking out for points of interest in the world around you. You can also try mindful breathing while you move by taking deep, slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth and placing your hand on your belly to feel the breath as it moves.

Ultimately, it’s all about taking the time to be in the moment and reflect on what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. It’s easy to get carried away by a routine, especially when it comes to working out, but turning your attention towards the here and now isn’t just important for your physical performance – it could make a real difference to how you feel mentally, too.