NOT EVEN the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could stop people from turning to running to stay fit, this is according to a study made by global footwear and sports equipment maker ASICS.
Speaking to 14,000 regular runners across 12 countries, the ASICS study shows that more than a third, or 36%, of them are more active now than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, despite most sports grinding to a halt because of social-distancing measures.
The study also shares that figures from fitness-tracking app, Runkeeper, show that runners of every level are clocking up more strides, more often, during the pandemic.
In April, the app saw a 252% rise in registrations globally and a 44% increase in monthly active users compared to the same time last year.
It also reported a 62% spike globally in people heading out for a weekly run.
The study also reveals that for the majority of people, this activity surge is not only about physical health. Two-thirds (67% globally) say exercise helps them cope mentally when faced by challenging situations like the one at hand with COVID-19 and eight in 10 (79% globally) runners insist that being active is making them feel more in control of themselves.
A similar number (81% globally) say running is playing a key role in helping them clear their mind while two-thirds (65% globally) insist its mental benefits outweigh any other form of physical exercise.
“For most of us, life is full of anxieties, uncertainties and restrictions at the moment. 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 despite being physically confined,” said Yasuhito Hirota, ASICS president and chief operating officer.
The ASICS study further says that such upward appreciation for running is set to be maintained even after COVID-19, with nearly three-quarters of the respondents (73%) saying they want to continue running as much as they are now after the pandemic while seven in 10 (70%) people who exercise regularly are determined to hang on to the important role sport and movement is currently playing in their lives.
More encouraging still, among those who only took up running after the COVID-19 crisis started, nearly two-thirds (62%) say they plan on sticking with it in future.
In line with this, ASICS reiterated its commitment to help in enhancing the push of runners by coming up with various initiatives geared towards such mission.
These include calling on runners of all levels to share their stories of how it has helped them via #RunToFeel; offering free access to the ASICS Studio at-home workout app for everyone from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic through the end of summer (August 2020); hosting virtual races powered by Race Roster and Runkeeper to motivate runners and let them compete together safely; and allowing free access to the #RunToFeel Challenge in the ASICS Runkeeper™ app — with new challenges being added each month.
For expert advice, training plans and more information about how to run, people can follow #RunToFeel or visit http://www.asics.com/ph/en-ph/mk/run-to-feel. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
