Following nationwide research into the mood of the nation, the ASICS State-of-Mind Index identified Nottinghamshire as the English county that most wanted a mental uplift (80%), with the town of Retford being reported as one of the most motivated to improve their emotional and mental wellbeing.
Now, ASICS, together with the support of mental health charity Mind, is embarking on a unique experiment to see whether movement can lift the mood of a whole town. For one day, residents of the town of Retford in Nottinghamshire will be invited to partake in a series of movement initiatives and measure the collective impact on their mental wellbeing. Dr. Brendon Stubbs – a world leading expert on movement and mental health – is overseeing the experiment having helped design the ambitious day of events.
The novel movement experiment, which will take place on September 25th, will see the town of Retford have its streets transformed into a movement inspired gym – with the installation of a variety of exercise pop-ups designed to help get the residents of Retford moving.
To quantify the ‘uplift’, residents will be invited to use the Mind Uplifter™ tool to measure their state of mind before and after taking part in an exercise circuit – designed to last approximately 20 minutes. Once a participant has registered a Mind Uplift via the tool, their induvial data will be combined with results across the town in order to demonstrate the uplift that movement can have on the mood of the whole town.
Every participant who captures a Mind Uplift on the day will raise funds for Mind’s vital work across the country, supporting the charity’s commitment to fight for better mental health
Gary Raucher, Executive Vice President, ASICS commented, “The last 18 months have been tough on people’s mental wellbeing, but we know exercise can be a positive source of energy. ASICS has always believed that exercise is not only good for the body, but also for the mind. Now, we aim to demonstrate our brand belief in action by seeing if movement can uplift the mood of a whole town. We hope residents of Retford will lace up and be part of this unique experiment to raise spirits and raise funds for Mind.”
Dr. Brendon Stubbs, the leading global expert in mental health and movement who oversaw the ASICS State-of-Mind Index said, “After a prolonged period of uncertainty and restrictions there’s naturally been an impact on people’s wellbeing. However, this summer has shown the transformative nature of sport and the ability it has to uplift people. Never before has a whole town approach to uplifting mood through a day of exercise been attempted and measured in such a robust way. This is an exciting project with immediate results, and I expect there to be a marked improvement on the emotional and mental wellbeing of the residents of Retford given the cognitive, emotional and physical benefits of exercise.”
Councillor Julie Leigh, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “To be selected as part of this experience is fascinating and I’m sure our residents will be fully behind it. We firmly believe that movement and exercise are key pillars in improving the overall health of our town, so we can’t wait to get started. I’m sure it will be a memorable day for all involved.”
Residents of Retford can learn more about the experiment as well as signing up to participate here: https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/mk/mind-uplifter