First off, how cute is this little pupper!? If his fluffball face and zoomie energy don’t inspire you to get moving with your own furry mate, the research-backed mental health benefits of walking your dog might just do the trick.
ASICS has just made history as the first sports brand to sign a dog as an official brand ambassador – and it makes perfect sense. After all, our four-legged friends have been getting us off the couch and out the door long before fitness influencers were a thing.
READ MORE: 6 Workout Moves You Can Actually Do With Your Dog
Before we get into all the mental health perks, let’s take a moment to meet Felix the Samoyed. This seven-year-old, ear-wiggling floof isn’t just an expert in charm – he’s also a globe-trotting traveller with 36 countries under his collar. Alongside his humans, Julia and Sven (@thetraveltellers), Felix has built a strong following across social media and a knack for striking a pose, earning him a well-deserved place in the wellness space.
According to new global research, 65% of dog owners say their pup is their biggest motivator to move, beating out family members, celebrities and even personal trainers. And it’s not just about getting your steps in. Moving with your dog comes with serious mental health perks too. According to new research from ASICS, 79% of dog owners say they feel less stressed after a walk with their pup, and 83% report a boost in happiness. It’s no wonder ASICS is calling dogs the ‘original exercise influencers’.
What Is Mind’s Best Friend?
But Felix isn’t just here to look cute in campaign shots (though he absolutely does). He’s also helping launch Mind’s Best Friend – a global campaign that celebrates the impact dogs have on our mental well-being. As part of the campaign, ASICS is inviting dog owners everywhere to nominate their pups to become official Mind’s Best Friend Ambassadors, complete with branded dog gear and ASICS kicks for their hoomans.
The Research Backs It
Professor Brendon Stubbs of King’s College London analysed State of Mind2 scores, an index measuring overall mental wellbeing, and found that dog owners’ scores are on average 18% higher than non-dog owners (61/100 vs. 51/100), with 4 in 5 (81%) of owners saying moving with their dog improves their mental wellbeing. The study also found that dog owners are 31% more likely to meet physical activity guidelines, averaging 210 minutes of exercise per week.
Good To Know Info: The ASICS State of Mind score is out of 100, calculated based on the accumulative mean scores across ten cognitive and emotional traits – positive, content, relaxed, focused, composed, resilient, confident, alert, calm, energised.
“ASICS’ latest research reveals just how significantly dogs influence our physical activity levels and overall State of Mind. The research shows dog owners are far more likely to meet recommended physical activity guidelines and have a much higher mood. In fact, 84% of dog owners feel a boost in their mood after moving with their dog,” says Professor Brendon Stubbs.
READ MORE: 6 Of the Best Toning Moves You Can Do While You Walk The Dog
Ready To Join The Pack?
“No one motivates us to move for body and mind more than our canine friends. Every day around the world, dogs motivate us to lace up, get out and move,” says Gary Raucher, Global Head of Marketing at ASICS.
He adds, “Our mission at ASICS is to encourage as many people as possible to feel the uplifting power of movement. It’s why we’re called ASICS, an acronym for the Latin ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’ or ‘Sound Mind in a Sound Body.’ We are delighted to have signed Felix as our official Ambassador and share dogs’ infectious love for movement with the world to motivate us all to get out and move for our minds.”
Turns out our dogs have been keeping our minds happy and our bodies moving all along – so it’s time to lace up, leash up and let them lead the way.
