ASICS Issues World's First Conservation Warning for Movement as New Research Reveals We're Moving Less
Sigourney Weaver narrates Human Nature, a new nature documentary from ASICS, exploring how our modern-day habitats are changing the way we move.
KOBE, Japan, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of World Mental Health Day, ASICS is issuing a conservation warning for movement, as new global research reveals people report spending 86% of their waking day not moving.1
To highlight the issue, ASICS has released Human Nature, a new nature documentary narrated by the award-winning Sigourney Weaver. Turning the lens on humans, the short film explores how our modern-day habitats are quietly changing the way we move.
Key Research Findings:
- People report spending 86% of their waking day not moving.1
- Today, 53% of adults surveyed are failing to meet recommended physical activity guidelines.
- By 2035, that figure is projected to rise to 56% — equivalent to 2.3 billion adults2 across the countries studied.
- 64% say modern life makes it easy to spend an entire day barely moving.
- Just 15 minutes of movement may help uplift our mental state and help us thrive.
The global research3, involving 34,000 people across 31 countries, found that more than half (53%) of adults report failing to meet recommended physical activity guidelines. To understand the scale of the issue, ASICS worked with experts to develop the world's first Movement Conservation Status4. Inspired by nature conservation and based on internationally recognized physical activity guidelines, it classifies movement levels as active, at risk or endangered.
The findings reveal that almost one in four people (23%) have movement levels classified as endangered, doing less than 30 minutes of exercise each week. By 2035, the proportion of adults with movement levels classified as at risk or endangered is projected to rise from 53% to 56% - equivalent to an estimated 2.3 billion adults2 across the countries studied.
Movement levels are linked to our mental state
People whose movement is classified as endangered report significantly lower State of Mind scores (60/100 on average) than those whose movement is classified as Active (71/100). They also report feeling 23% less energized, 20% less composed, 17% less focused, and 16% more stressed than those whose movement is classified as "Active".
Young people are particularly at risk. More than half (57%) of 18–24-year-olds report they fail to meet recommended activity levels, with 92% saying they experience negative consequences as a result, including low mood, increased stress and poor sleep.
Modern life is designing movement out
The research suggests that modern convenience is quietly designing movement out of everyday life. Today, we can eat, work, bank, shop, socialize and entertain ourselves without moving, and increasingly do. Nearly two-thirds of people (64%) say it is easy to spend an entire day barely moving because modern life is so convenient, while more than four in ten say they could comfortably not leave their home for three or more days.
And staying in has a cost. People who very often go a full day without leaving home have average State of Mind scores of 62/100, compared with 71/100 for those who never do - and are twice as likely to be moving at endangered levels (40% vs 20%).
Technology is accelerating the trend. Forty-one per cent of people surveyed regularly complete errands online rather than in person, while 39% often socialize by phone or video instead of face-to-face. Among 18–24-year-olds, 41% now use AI to complete tasks they would previously have done themselves - the highest of any age group.
Just 15 minutes can help make a difference
But there is good news. Small amounts of movement may make a real difference, with ASICS research showing that just 15 minutes of movement can help deliver a measurable uplift in mental state.
"We've built a world that makes movement optional. We can work, shop, socialise and be entertained without ever really moving – and while that's convenient, our bodies and minds still depend on regular movement to stay healthy," David Raichlen, Professor of Biology and Anthropology at the University of Southern California. "The findings are a reminder that movement isn't an added extra; it's fundamental to how we feel, think and function. The encouraging thing is that it doesn't take much to change small, achievable moments of activity can make a real difference, and the challenge is to simply build them back into the world we live in now."
A new nature documentary
Human Nature takes a playful look at humans in their increasingly comfortable and convenient modern-day habitats. Returning to nature documentary narration, Sigourney Weaver lends her distinctive voice to the short film, which explores how sofas, screens and convenience are quietly replacing everyday movement. With a twist on the traditional conservation documentary, Human Nature shows how modern life is changing the way we move — and reminds us why movement is in our nature.
Watch Human Nature here.
"For more than 75 years, ASICS has been guided by the belief that movement transforms not just the body, but also the mind," says Gary Raucher, Global Head of Marketing. "It's why we're called ASICS. Our name comes from the Latin phrase Anima Sana In Corpore Sano - a Sound Mind in a Sound Body. Today, as modern life quietly designs movement out of everyday life, we believe it's more important than ever to remind people of the power of movement. We hope to inspire people everywhere to move for just 15 minutes, because even small amounts of movement can make a meaningful difference to both body and mind."
This World Mental Health Day, ASICS is encouraging everyone to take 15 Minutes to Thrive, moving for just 15 minutes to help support body and mind.
People can also become an ASICS Movement Conservationist, joining a global community inspiring more people to move for body and mind.
To find out more and join the movement, visit asics.com/movementconservation
NOTES TO EDITORS
¹Self-reported daily movement, assumes a 16-hour waking day.
2Based on 56% of the projected combined 18+ population of the 31 markets studied in 2035 (4.04 billion), per UN World Population Prospects 2024.
3ASICS' global State of Mind study, conducted in July 2026 among 34,000 participants across 31 markets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, the UK, the US and Vietnam. 1,000 members of the general population were surveyed in each market (2,000 in the US, UK and China), nationally representative by age, gender and region.
4ASICS worked with Professor Brendon Stubbs to develop The Movement Conservation Status drawing on internationally recognised guidelines for weekly physical activity, including those from the World Health Organisation, Sport England, NHS England and US Physical Activity Guidelines. The Movement Conservation Status classifies weekly self-reported movement into three categories: active (150+ minutes), at risk (30-149 minutes) and endangered (fewer than 30 minutes).
About ASICS
At ASICS, our five letters have meaning. ASICS is an acronym for the Latin Anima Sana In Corpore Sano or a Sound Mind in a Sound Body. And since our founding in 1949, our purpose has been to help people achieve a Sound Mind in a Sound Body.
Right from the very start, our founder, Kihachiro Onitsuka, saw that sport and movement had the power to lift spirits, project positivity, and propel people and whole communities forward. We still believe this.
And we believe our purpose is more relevant today than ever before. Stress and anxiety are at record levels, yet we know sport and movement can have a positive impact. Which is why we remain focused on supporting more people to move for positive mental health.
SOURCE ASICS
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