ASICS To Uplift One Million Minds Through Sport

BOSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ASICS today invites the world to experience the uplifting power of sport and be part of the world's first live study into the impact of movement on the mind. ASICS is inspiring people to move and, for the first time, see the uplift on their own mind, their city, and their entire nation. Starting on Global Running Day 2021, ASICS is aiming to uplift one million minds around the world.

The Mind Uplifter™
ASICS is enabling everyday athletes all over the world to see, for the first time, the impact of movement on their own mind. Using a combination of facial scanning technology and self-report data collection, people will be able to capture the impact of sport across 10 emotional and cognitive metrics – including confidence, positivity, calm and focus – to see how different sports impact how they think and feel.

Uplifting Minds Research
This data will feed into a live global study, capturing individual Mind Uplifts from around the world and visually transforming them into a dynamic and interactive World Uplift Map. The map will quantify the positive impact that sport is having on the collective mood of cities, nations and the world as a whole. Through the live study, ASICS will deepen its understanding of the relationship between movement and the mind on a global scale, underpinning its belief that sport has the power to uplift minds all over the world.

"As we all come to terms with a much-changed world in the wake of the pandemic, the uplifting power of sport is a constant that endures," said Yasuhito Hirota, the President & COO of ASICS. "That's why our sole ambition is to empower as many people as possible to experience the physical and mental benefits of movement. By taking part in any number of our different events and activities running across the year, you'll contribute to vital research to help us further understand the uplifting effect of sport. That way we can continue finding new ways to highlight and unlock the benefits for everyone in 2022 and beyond."

Underpinned by Science
Over the past six months, ASICS has conducted scientific research alongside world-renowned experts to explore the impact of sport on the mind among a select group of athletes ahead of the live study's wider rollout.

The preliminary study was developed by EMOTIV, a market-leading bioinformatics company headquartered in San Francisco, with the support of Dr. Brendon Stubbs, a leading exercise and mental health researcher based at King's College London. The study used a combination of electroencephalogram (EEG) and self-report data collection to prove the positive impact of running on the mind across a number of core cognitive and emotional metrics – including confidence (14.4% average increase immediately after exercise), energy (+9.7%) and relaxation (+13.3%) * – among a sample of 42 elite and everyday athletes.

Now ASICS is applying the findings in a way that will enable the rollout of the study on a global scale, permitting athletes everywhere to see and experience the impact of movement on the mind first-hand for any one of 25 different sports of their choosing.

"Our preliminary research findings outline the profound impact that something as simple as a 20-minute run can have on our minds," said Dr. Brendon Stubbs. "With exercise playing such a valuable role in maintaining of our mental health and wellbeing, it is more important than ever that people can see and understand the positive link between the two. The unique way in which we are applying our initial findings using robust EEG measures, validating the Mind Uplifter™, will enable the translation of this research for people everywhere to experience and reliably measure the uplifting power of sport like never before. Our ambition is to inspire as many people as possible to move their mind and reap those all-important cognitive and emotional benefits for themselves."

Uplifting One Million Minds
ASICS is inviting everyday athletes all over the world to experience the uplifting power of sport and become one of the one million minds moved in 2021. The project kicks off on Global Running Day 2021, with ASICS challenging runners everywhere to use the Mind Uplifter™ to capture their pre and post run mental wellbeing before sharing their results on social media using #UpliftingMinds. Runners can take part directly or get active alongside thousands of runners around the world by taking part in the WORLD UPLIFTING MINDS RUN, available via the Race Roster and ASICS Runkeeper™ apps throughout June. 

As well as running, ASICS will host a series of other sporting events across the year to encourage wider participation and demonstrate the power of all sports to uplift the mind.

Join the Movement
To get involved, and join the world's first live study into the impact of movement on the mind:

1. GO to minduplifter.asics.com to capture your Mind Uplift.
2. SCAN your face to read your emotional state.
3. ANSWER scientifically-developed questions to gauge your brain function.
4. COMPLETE at least 20 minutes of exercise to uplift your mind.
5. REPEAT steps two and three.
6. GET your Mind Uplift results and SHARE them on your social channels.
7. SEE how your results contribute to the World Uplift Map (from July 1).

To find out more about ASICS' mission to move one million minds visit asics.com/uplift.

NOTES FOR EDITOR

*Preliminary Study - Results Overview
ASICS is today releasing the results of its preliminary scientific research into the impact of sport on the mind ahead of a wider rollout of its global study at scale.

Using a combination of advanced EEG and self-report data collection to chart the before and after impact of going for a 20-minute run among a sample of 45 elite and everyday athletes, the research findings from the preliminary study prove the power of a short amount of exercise to uplift the mind across a range of emotional and cognitive metrics. Immediately after completing a 20-minute run, the study found that research participants on average experienced:

• A 13.4% increase in their levels of alertness. 
• A 15.9% increase in their degree of calm. 
• A 14.3% increase in how content they felt. 
• A 13.3% increase in their relaxation levels. 
• A 11.4% increase in how composed they felt. 
• A 9.7% increase in their energy levels. 
• A 2.9% increase in their focus levels. 

These research findings have informed the development of the study's wider global rollout, with ASICS now enabling athletes everywhere to see and understand the impact of movement on their mind first-hand across 10 core emotional and cognitive metrics, captured using a combination of facial scanning technology and the scientifically validated self-report questions.

MEDIA ASSETS

• Mind Uplifter™
• Mind Uplift lifestyle imagery
• Beta 2.0 research result animated GIFs
• Launch film

Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body," is an old Latin phrase from which ASICS is derived and the fundamental platform on which the brand still stands. The company was founded more than 70 years ago by Kihachiro Onitsuka and is now a leading designer and manufacturer of running shoes, as well as, other athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.asics.com. The stripe design featured on the sides of the ASICS®shoes is a registered trademark of ASICS Corporation.

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SOURCE ASICS

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