How do your running workouts influence your mental and emotional well-being?

RUNNEA
Redacción RUNNEA Team
Posted on 04-06-2021

Once again we align ourselves with those proposals that bring added valor and that, above all, are able to inspire runners at any level, regardless of the sporting objectives they are pursuing. ASICS has taken the interesting initiative to study and evaluate the impact that sport has on the human mind. Their proposal: the first live study to learn about the stimulating power that sports practice has on our mental health. The chosen tool is Mind Uplifter, and you can participate too.

With the celebration of Global Running Day 2021, ASICS has taken the opportunity to launch its original proposal to take action and put into practice the meaning of its acronym "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano" ("healthy mind in a healthy body"). Thus, through the combination of facial scanning technology and self-reporting data collection, all runners who wish to do so will have the opportunity to check the impact of their workouts with respect to a total of ten metrics associated with cognitive and emotional levels, such as: concentration, positivity, confidence or calm, among others. Have you ever thought about how those kilometers you add to your legs affect your feelings and thoughts? The ASICS Mind Uplifter tool helps you in this specific mission, of course... with your Running shoes on!

How to participate in the ASICS Uplifting Minds movement?

In this sense, and globally, the challenge that ASICS poses to the running community is to use this Uplifter tool with the idea of recording your mental well-being before and after your running sessions scheduled in your individual training plan. Subsequently, use the hashtag #UpliftingMinds on social media.

The steps to become one of the protagonists of this pioneering live study worldwide, which aims to assess the impact of sport on our mind, are as follows:

  • Access the official website www.asics.com/uplift to take the Mind Uplift screenshot.
  • Scan your face to take a reading of your emotional state.
  • Answer the questionnaire to measure your brain function (they are scientifically developed).
  • Perform a minimum of 20 minutes training to "uplift" your mind.
  • Repeat steps 2 and 3.
  • Get the results of your Mind Uplift and share it on your social networks(#UpliftingMinds).

From next July 1, 2021 you will have the opportunity to check how your results have contributed to the World Uplift Map. Incidentally, it is important to note that for every Mind Uplift shared on social media, funds will be raised for the mental health charity Mind, to support its work in providing services to people suffering from mental disorders.

ASICS also plans to run a series of Uplifting Minds events throughout 2021 to encourage greater participation and demonstrate the power of all sports to "elevate the mind". The starting point will be the London 10K race, which will take place on July 25, 2021.

"While we all face a vastly changed world in the wake of the pandemic, the uplifting power of sport is an enduring constant. That's why our sole ambition is to enable as many people as possible to experience the physical and mental benefits of movement. By participating in any of our various events and activities held throughout the year, you will contribute to vital research that will help us better understand the stimulating effect of sport on the mind. In this way, we can continue to find new ways to highlight and unlock the benefits for everyone in 2022 and beyond," said Yasuhito Hirota, president and COO of ASICS with the aim of encouraging people to exercise.

Why does running increase your levels of satisfaction, relaxation and energy?

It is also interesting to note the results of the preliminary study, conducted by the bioinformatics company EMOTIV, in collaboration with Dr. Brendon Stubbs, a researcher at King's College London. This research is based on a combination of advanced EEG and self-report data collection to map the impact before and after a 20-minute run among a sample of 42 elite and everyday athletes.

Pending the Uplifting Minds global-scale study, the data obtained from this preliminary scientific research makes clear the benefits that a short training session can have on an athlete's mental and emotional well-being:

  • A 13.4% increase in their alertness levels.
  • A 159 increase in their degree of calmness.
  • A 143 increase in satisfaction.
  • 133 increase in their levels of relaxation.
  • 11.4% increase in tranquility.
  • 97 increase in their energy levels.
  • 29 increase in concentration levels.

Are you ready to capture and share the liberation of your mind and be part of this worldwide live study? If you would like to learn more about the ASICS Uplifting Minds movement, click here.

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