NEW ASICS STATE OF MIND INDEX INDICATES POSITIVE IMPACT OF MOVEMENT ON WORLD'S MENTAL HEALTH

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Apr 13, 2022, 02:43 ET

- Global ASICS study demonstrates positive link between movement and mental health

- New ASICS research also indicates that just 15:09 minutes of exercise may be all it can take to begin experiencing a positive uplift, showing the big impact a small amount of movement can have

- Inspired by these findings, ASICS is calling on everyone to take part in its 15:09 Uplift Challenge to experience the uplift first-hand

BOSTON, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, ASICS is excited to announce the results of its inaugural global State of Mind Index, which indicates a direct positive link between exercise and mental health. Notably, the study also uncovered the worrying potential impact of lower levels of activity in younger generations across the globe.

The first-of-its-kind global study tracked the mental state of 37,000 people from 16 countries around the world, finding that people who move the most have a higher State of Mind score

The global study, which tracked the mental state of 37,000 people from 16 countries around the world, found that people who move the most have a higher State of Mind score. Active individuals^[1] have an average State of Mind score of 68/100, in relation to just 56/100 for those that are inactive^[2].

The study also highlights dramatic differences in physical activity between generations, with older generations (those aged 57+) moving almost one hour (53 minutes) more on average than Gen Z across the span of a week. This in turn is shown to have a big impact on each group's collective State of Mind score.

The study found that 54% of the global older population is active and feels uplifting benefits, reporting an average State of Mind score of 67/100. In contrast, just 45% of the global Gen Z (aged 18-24) population are currently active and, as a result, have a considerably lower average State of Mind score than their older counterparts of 59/100.

The local data for the U.S. also showed a positive link between movement and mental health, with active individuals on average scoring 65/100 in relation to just 50/100 for non-active individuals. It was also consistent with global data in revealing the older generation is more active and has a higher State of Mind score (55% active with average SOM score of 67/100) compared with those in Gen Z (just 45% active with average SOM score of 49/100).

The study also interestingly found that while the global population perceives 30 minutes as the minimum amount of exercise required to experience the uplifting impact of movement, new ASICS' research indicates that just 15 minutes and 9 seconds of movement is all it can take to begin feeling the mood-boosting effects.

Dr Brendon Stubbs, a leading exercise and mental health researcher from King's College London who led the study, said: "There is a common perception that you need to move for a long time to experience the uplifting benefit. However, our new research indicates this is not the case – just over 15 minutes of movement is actually all it can take to experience the positive impact. Coinciding with the State of Mind Index, which demonstrates the positive link between movement and mental health on a global scale like never before, we hope it will be inspiring for many to see the impact that such a small amount of movement can have."

Tomoko Koda, Managing Executive Officer, Senior General Manager, Marketing at ASICS said: "At ASICS, it has long been our belief that sport has the power to uplift both an individual and the world like nothing else. While the results of our global State of Mind Index indicate just how intrinsic the link between regular movement and positive mental wellbeing is, they also show the potential impact a small amount of movement could have in raising the world's collective State of Mind. Our 15:09 Challenge sets out to do just that, calling on everyone to move and in doing so experience those all-important benefits first-hand. We're delighted that our inspiring new ASICS 15:09 Uplift Ambassadors are going to be joining us in taking part in and sharing this challenge too."

To recognize the unique findings of the ASICS Uplift Study, ASICS will host a 15:09 Uplift Challenge throughout the month of June. The 15:09 Uplift Challenge will be led by brand ambassadors around the world, including Deena Kastor in the U.S. More details on the 15:09 Uplift Challenge will be shared at a later date.

To find out more about ASICS' #LiveUplifted campaign, visit www.asics.com.

NOTES FOR EDITOR

About the ASICS State of Mind Index
The State of Mind Index is a first-of-its-kind study conducted by ASICS which looks at the relationship between State of Mind and exercise around the world. The State of Mind Index is a score out of 100, calculated based on the accumulative mean scores across ten cognitive and emotional traits – including positivity, content, relaxed, focused and composed. Conducted by Edelman Data & Insights, the study was carried out among a total sample size of 37,000 respondents across 16 countries globally – nationally representative by age, gender and region in each market. The countries included in the study are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, UK & USA. Generational breakdown included in the study was as follows: