To help combat seasonal affective disorder or winter depression, most people turn to medication or psychotherapy, but new research points to another solution.

Less sunlight and shorter days are recipes for depression during these winter months but with a little exercise and meditation it might not have to be.

For 8 weeks, 52 students participated in a Rutgers University study that ended with promising news.

Twice a week, each student participating in the study began with 30 minutes of focused attention meditation followed by 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.

At the end of the 8-week intervention the men and women in the study reported fewer depressive symptoms.

And perhaps the best part, says the study’s lead researcher, is that this intervention can be practiced by anyone at any time, at no cost.

Researchers say that by learning to focus their attention and exercise, people fighting depression  can acquire new cognitive skills that help reduce overwhelming past memories.