Asics study: lockdown boosts love for running
Japanese sports brand Asics is conducting a study to understand the changing needs of runners, and so far the results have shown that runners of every level are running more often and for longer distances.
The study spoke to 14,000 regular exercisers across 12 countries and found that 36% globally are more active now than they were before the pandemic began. Two-thirds (67% globally) said exercise helps them cope mentally and 79% said staying active is making them feel “saner and more in control”. Running is playing a key role in helping 81% “clear their mind” while 65% globally said the mental benefits of running outweigh other forms of exercise.
Figures from Asics’ fitness-tracking app, Runkeeper, show a 252% rise in registrations globally and a 44% increase in monthly active users compared to the same time last year. In the days around the recent Global Running Day, there was a 47.3% increase in people running compared to last year.
“For most of us, life is full of anxieties, uncertainties and restrictions at the moment,” said Yasuhito Hirota, president and CEO of Asics. “As our study’s initial findings prove, a run has therefore become much more than just a run. It’s a way for people to put aside the extraordinary mental challenges of this pandemic. And importantly, it’s something which they want to maintain as lockdowns ease across the globe.”
