WHAT’S YOUR 15:09? – ASICS CALLS ON THE WORLD TO GET MOVING WITH LAUNCH OF 15:09 UPLIFT CHALLENGE

Inspired by ASICS research that shows that just 15:09 minutes of exercise is all it can take to begin experiencing the positive impact of movement on the mind

[KUALA LUMPUR, 1st JUNE 2022] - ASICS is today challenging the world to see the huge impact that even a small amount of movement can have on our mental health, with the launch of its 15:09 Uplift Challenge.

Beginning on Global Running Day (June 1) and running throughout the month of June, the challenge calls on people everywhere to move, however they choose, for 15:09 minutes and share how they get on using #LiveUplifted, before challenging friends or family to do the same.

The challenge is inspired by ASICS research which demonstrates the positive link between movement and mental health - the more you move, the higher your state of mind is likely to be1 - and that only 15:09 minutes of movement is all it can take to begin experiencing this uplifting impact.

However, with the study also uncovering the worrying impact of lower levels of activity - particularly in younger generations - the 15:09 Uplift Challenge will encourage as many people as possible to experience first-hand the uplifting impact that even a small amount of movement can have on the mind.

Dr Brendon Stubbs, a leading exercise and mental health researcher who led the study, said: “15:09 minutes is a far shorter time period than most perceive necessary to achieve the benefits of exercise, and this finding from our previous research makes clear just how accessible it is for everyone to experience the mental benefits – alongside all the physical ones – that come from movement.

Spreading the message that 15:09 is all it takes to see this impact becomes even more important when put into the context of our recent State of Mind Index results, which show how our global inactive population is suffering from significantly poorer mental health than those who are dedicating sufficient time to exercise. That is why I’m excited for as many people as possible to get involved in the 15:09 Uplift Challenge, which is such a simple way of uplifting your mind through sport. Let’s come together to boost our collective mental health!”

Getting involved could not be easier. All you have to do is:

1. Move for 15:09 minutes to uplift your mind (whether its walking, running, tennis or however you like to move)
2. Capture a video or image while doing it
3. Share the video or image to TikTok, Instagram or Facebook with #LiveUplifted, while challenging another person to do the same

UPLIFT YOUR LIVES FOR A GOOD CAUSE!

Concurrently, ASICS Malaysia aims to help raise funds during the 15:09 Uplift Challenge for Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (MIASA) Malaysia, a mental health advocacy and peer support NGO founded by patients for patients providing counselling, assessments, support groups and various programmes to educate and promote awareness on the importance of mental health issues.

From 1 to 30 June 2022, Malaysians can post videos or photos on themselves uplifting their mind during the 15:09 Uplift Challenge with #LiveUplifted and #ASICSforMIASA, and ASICS Malaysia will donate RM5 to MIASA Malaysia. The target is to achieve up to 3,000 uploaded content during the entire month to raise a total of RM15,000 in funds.

Getting involved could not be easier. All you have to do is:

1. Move for 15:09 minutes to uplift your mind (whether its walking, running, tennis or however you like to move)
2. Capture a video or image while doing it
3. Share the video or image to TikTok, Instagram or Facebook. Tag 5 friends with hashtags #ASICSMY #LiveUplifted and #ASICSforMIASA to enable every video posted to be counted for the donation.

At the same time, the challenge will support the next wave of ASICS’s research to provide further insight on its Uplifting Minds Study that can aid in many more initiatives to promote better mental health.

ASICS is also giving people a further helping hand when it comes to completing the challenge with the launch of a 15:09 minute run (with the option of a guided workout) via the Runkeeper app.

To find out more about how you can take part in the 15:09 Uplift Challenge visit asics.com