Researchers did a study with 84 female hotel housekeepers to see if their mindset about exercise affected their health. The housekeepers were split into two groups. One group was told that the physical work they do cleaning hotel rooms actually counts as good exercise that meets recommendations for an active lifestyle. The other group wasn't told this.

After 4 weeks, the group that was informed their work was exercise started perceiving themselves as getting more exercise, even though their actual behavior didn't change. Compared to the other group, this "exercise mindset" group had decreases in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and BMI.

The results suggest that simply thinking you are getting exercise, without actually changing your activity level, can lead to some health benefits. This supports the idea that the placebo effect, where your mindset influences biological results, plays a role in how exercise affects your health.

The study showed that just by changing their mindset or way of thinking about their work as hotel housekeepers, the women were able to experience some physical health benefits like weight loss and lower blood pressure. Their bodies transformed in positive ways simply from renewing how they viewed their daily work activities.

This connects to the Bible verse about being "transformed by the renewing of your mind." The study is an example of how changing your mental perspective or mindset can lead to actual physical transformations in your body and health. Just like the verse suggests, renewing your mind and way of thinking produced observable changes. Obviously, within the exegetical framework, that verse is discussing being conformed to the world. However, we can also read the scriptures conceptually, and extrapolate truths for our physical bodies as well.

So the study provides a real-world scientific demonstration of how our minds can powerfully influence our bodies, just as that Bible teaching conveys. By renewing our minds, we open ourselves to positive transformation, whether spiritual or physical according to this research. The two ideas align in highlighting the formative role of our thoughts and mindsets.

Many Christian saints across traditions have emphasized the importance of transforming one's mind and heart through spiritual practices like prayer, fasting, and contemplation. The idea of "renewing" the mind to align with God's will is a common theme.

“It is necessary for a Christian to fast, in order to clear his mind, to rouse and develop his feelings, and to stimulate his will to useful activity. These three human capabilities we darken and stifle above all by ‘surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life’ (Lk. 21:34).” — St. John of Kronstadt

“Prayer frees the mind of all thought of the sensory and raises it to God Himself, Who is above all, to converse with Him and daringly ask Him for anything. Thus a man spends his life in purity, as one who, having already experienced communion with God, is thereupon again preparing for this communion.” ~ St. Nilus of Sinai

“Whatever you are doing, with whomever you are speaking, whether you are going somewhere or sitting, let your mind be with the Lord. You will forget yourself, and stray from this path; but again turn to the Lord and rebuke yourself with sorrow. This is the discipline of spiritual attentiveness.” — St. Theophan the Recluse

“Cleanse your intellect from anger, rancor and shameful thoughts, and you will be able to perceive the indwelling of Christ.” + St. Maximos the Confessor, Four Hundred Texts on Love 4.76, The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Vol. 2)