Yahoo News 68% of Brits who don’t exercise feel too embarrassed to go to the gym, finds new research
According to new research by Onepoll, 68% of Brits who don’t exercise feel too embarrassed to go to the gym because they don’t think they fit the mould of the ‘typical’ exerciser.
Now, Asics is teaming up with mental health charity Mind to redefine what people think of as a ‘personal best’. The campaign, ‘New Personal Best’, wants people to focus on how exercise makes them feel, rather than on running stats, encouraging more people to move for their mental health.
The research also found that 78% of respondents didn't find typical sports advertising motivating, with 33% saying it actually put them off exercising altogether. So, 'New Personal Best' captures how exercise makes people feel through a series of portraits – with no stats, no times and no numbers.
Tom Durnin, who finished in last place at the 2023 London Marathon, is one of the campaign's ambassadors.
‘For me, it was all about crossing that finish line no matter how long it took me,’ he says. ‘I run purely because it makes me feel good, I don't worry about my time or being the slowest. If my story can inspire at least one person to take the first step that’s all I could ask for.'
How can you get involved?
Asics and Mind are encouraging people to share their own ‘personal best’ on social media – whatever that means to you. Every image shared with #NewPersonalBest on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or Twitter between 10 October and 10 December 2023 will raise £5 for Mind.
Read the ambassador’s stories and discover more about the ‘New Personal Best’ campaign on the Asics website.
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