The latest ASICS State of Mind Study reinforces the positive link between physical activity and the mind and also highlights a direct link between exercise in teenage years and state of mind in adulthood.
Global State of
Mind Study 2024
Discover the results of ASICS' latest State of Mind Study exploring the relationship between exercise and state of mind across the world.
Introduction
In 2024, we launched our second global State of Mind Study surveying over 26,000 people across 22 countries. The Study explores the relationship between exercise and state of mind across the world.
The State of Mind score is calculated based on the cumulative mean scores across the ten cognitive and emotional traits below. Each trait is marked out of 10.
- Positive
- Confident
- Content
- Composed
- Resilient
- Relaxed
Emotional Traits
- Focused
- Calm
- Alert
- Energised
Cognitive Traits
Key Findings
Physical activity directly impacts global State of Mind scores. The more active people are, the higher their scores.
We found that active people feel more...
The ASICS 2024 State of Mind Study continues to show a link between physical activity and mental wellbeing.
The more people exercise, the higher their State of Mind scores. Those who are regularly active ¹ have an average State of Mind score of 67/100, while those who are inactive ² trail significantly behind at 54/100.
¹ 150 minutes or more of physical activity per week
² Less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week
However, there are marked differences across the world, with lower activity levels associated with lower State of Mind scores.
Global ranking
The 2024 ASICS State of Mind Index ranks the average scores of 22 countries across the world.
| Ranking | Country | Score '24 | Score '22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | China | 78 | 77 |
| 02 | Saudi Arabia | 73 | - |
| 03 | India | 73 | 74 |
| 04 | Thailand | 71 | 74 |
| 05 | Singapore | 69 | 64 |
| 06 | Colombia | 68 | - |
| 07 | Malaysia | 66 | - |
| 08 | UAE | 66 | 68 |
| 09 | Netherlands | 65 | 63 |
| 10 | South Africa | 64 | - |
| 11 | France | 64 | 62 |
| 12 | Chile | 64 | - |
| 13 | Brazil | 62 | 63 |
| 14 | Canada | 62 | - |
| 15 | Germany | 62 | 63 |
| 16 | US | 62 | 59 |
| 17 | Australia | 61 | 62 |
| 18 | UK | 61 | 65 |
| 19 | Spain | 61 | 65 |
| 20 | Italy | 61 | 63 |
| 21 | Sweden | 57 | 60 |
| 22 | Japan | 52 | 51 |
The ages of 15-17 are identified as the most critical years for staying active and when dropping out of exercise can affect your mental state for years to come.
Insights - Youth
The impact of physical activity at ages 15-17 influences adult activity levels and State of Mind scores.
Being physically active in your teenage years directly impacts your state of mind later in life.
The ages between 15-17 are key ages for establishing lifelong exercise habits. Globally, 58% of people who regularly exercised between those ages still exercise regularly in later life versus 53% of people who did not.
Those regularly active at 15-17 years old report higher State of Mind scores in adulthood than those who were not (66/100 versus 61/100).
In fact, each additional year a teenager remained engaged in exercise was associated with an improved State of Mind score in adulthood.
Insights - Generations
The activity levels of each generation impact State of Mind scores
Worryingly, with each generation, teenagers are dropping out of exercise earlier and in larger numbers than ever before.
82% of the Silent Generation were active several times a week in their youth compared to only 55% of Gen Z.
While 57% of the Silent Generation were active daily in their childhoods compared to just 19% of Gen Z.
This is detrimentally impacting their mental wellbeing now and into adulthood…
Younger generations consistently display lower State of Mind scores than older generations.
Gen Z’s is the lowest with 62/100 while Silent Generation score the highest with 70/100.
Regardless of current age or activity levels, those less active in their youth have lower State of Mind scores in adulthood than those who were regularly active, showing a connection between exercise in teenage years and positive mental health later in life.
Insights - Gender
The activity levels of men and women impact their State of Mind scores.
A gender exercise gap persists, with women, particularly young women, exercising significantly less than men.
On average, 62% of men under the age of 40 are active, compared to 56% of women under 40.
This is having a negative impact on women’s State of Mind scores.
Women display an average State of Mind score of 62/100 while men score 68/100.
Gen Z (aged 18–27) and Millennial (aged 28–42) women have the most to gain from exercising more. Their mental wellbeing is shown to be most profoundly impacted by regular exercise. State of Mind scores among active young women are 23% higher than inactive Gen Z women and 28% higher than inactive Millennial women.
Discover all the findings
Global State of
Mind Study 2024
The study surveyed over 26,000 people across 22 countries. All the findings with additional local data are available to download in the section below.
Methodology
Led by Professor Brendon Stubbs of Kings College London, a leading researcher in movement and the mind, the 2024 Global State of Mind Index surveyed over 26,000 people across 22 markets.
Where
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the US.
Who
1,000 of the general population in each market, except for in the US, France and China, where 2,000 participants were surveyed. Each were nationally representative by age, gender and region in each market.
When
November 17th – December 21st, 2023
Professor Brendon Stubbs
Professor Brendon Stubbs is a renowned researcher in movement and the mind. He is currently a Senior Clinical Lecturer at King's College London and is the highest ranked global exercise and mental health researcher with over 20 years' clinical experience and over 800 academic papers published.
Our commitment
ASICS research shows it only takes 15 minutes and 9 seconds to start to achieve a mental uplift from exercise. Given the link between exercise in adolescence and positive mental wellbeing in adulthood, ASICS is committed to supporting the lifetime athlete in everyone.
Other initiatives
Move Her Mind
The more women move, the better women feel.
Discover the results of our unique global study into the gender exercise gap.
Move Her Mind
with ASICS
Move Your Mind with ASICS Exercise doesn’t just move your body, it moves your mind.
We believe in the transformative power of movement to uplift moods and minds. Moving with ASICS can take anyone to a more positive mental state.
FAQ
Here you will find the most commonly asked questions about the Study and campaign.